Deliverance
by JustCallMeMarly
Summary: Trio’s 7th year AU … "One death or one deliverance we will share." - Dryden
1. Part I

**_Title: Deliverance_**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing of this fabulous franchise worth gazillions of dollars… J.K. Rowling, you are my hero. I want to be you when I grow up…_**

**_Genre: Angst/Drama/Romance/Adventure-ish… it's pretty much all in here…_**

**_Pairing: Draco/Ginny, small bits of Ron/Hermione_**

**_Spoilers: Up to and including The Goblet of Fire and the Order of the _****_Phoenix_****_._**

_**Summary: Set in the Trio's 7th year… **One death or one deliverance we will share. --Dryden_

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O  
Deliverance  
O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_"Offer up your last defense  
__This is the end of the innocence"_

_- Don Henley_

It was all because of that damned crush. Ginny Weasley's life was one big laughing-stock because of her hero worship for one Harry James Potter. It was hard to get past that fascination at times, those first-ever feelings of absolute infatuation. There were times she _still_ had to catch herself from staring at the boy. At sixteen, she knew that she had to shake herself past it. But it was hard, having fallen in love with the young wizard at the tender age of ten. Harry Potter, defeater of the dark wizard Voldemort at the age of 1 and would have to most likely do it again before his 18th birthday, was still a piece of her heart no matter how much she ignored it. But she'd accepted that.

It had taken until her 4th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but she'd been able to move past him to find Michael Corner and Dean Thomas. Not that they were anything spectacular… Michael had run off to Cho Chang and Dean had found bigger and better things in Padma Patil. But it had felt good to finally become someone other than 'that red-haired girl with a crush on Harry Potter' or 'the silly little girl that opened the Chamber of Secrets'. She was still known as 'Ron Weasley's little sister', but she could deal with that. It was now her 6th year at Hogwarts and come next year, she'd be the only Weasley left at the school.

Ginny hefted her bag over her shoulder roughly at that thought. It both saddened her and made her happy. It seemed like just yesterday she was rummaging around Flourish & Blotts in Diagon Alley, excitedly looking for her first among many textbooks. And with the thought of textbooks, the youngest Weasley increased her stride with hopes of being a few minutes early to Potions. Professor Severus Snape would make life a living hell for her if she showed up late – so it was her habit to be in her seat at least five minutes before the start of class.

A small smile came over her face as she turned the final corner in time to see the 7th years being released from the dungeon classroom. Someone must have blown something up for Professor Snape to have held them in the classroom after class was officially over. Ginny's galleons were on her brother's friend, Neville Longbottom. The poor boy was helpless in that class. And his not-completely-unfounded fear of the dark, greasy-haired Professor had probably had a large hand in whatever the incident. Professor Snape was as intimidating as a pack of starved Norwegian Ridgebacks to all who were not in Slytherin House.

"Ginny!" Ron's voice called out. She smiled as she made her way over to where he, Hermione and Harry were.

"You'd best be careful today, Gin. Snape's in a right fine mood," her brother grumbled.

"What did Neville blow up today?" she asked with a smile. Hermione rolled her eyes with a huff.

"What did he _not_ blow up is more the question," she said. Ginny's smile widened.

"Poor Neville… was his punishment the usual? Detention?" she asked. Ron let out a snort.

"I didn't say Snape was his usual, dodgy old self. I said he was in a 'right fine mood'. It was worse for dear Neville… much, much worse. He gave him three weeks required tutoring with a pack of Slytherins. You know how much hell they're going to give him," her brother said. It was no secret that Slytherins hated all things Gryffindor… and vice versa. The Slytherin snake and the Gryffindor lion were as opposite as the values held dear by the students in each house. To set a pair or more of students from one house on a single student from the opposite house was a fate worse than detention with Snape itself. This time, the 'poor Neville' that went around the small circle of people was more heartfelt.

"Ron… Harry… say good-bye to Ginny, otherwise we'll be late to Charms," Hermione said. Ron and Harry both rolled their eyes.

"Only Hermione would call being on time 'late'…" Harry said. Hermione huffed and leveled the two boys with a look.

"Fine, Mum, we're going…" Ron said, leaning over to give Ginny a quick peck on the cheek. "We'll see you later, Gin."

"Bye, Ginny," Hermione said as she tugged the boys down the hallway. Harry gave a quick, almost shy wave as the bushy haired girl continued to pull at him.

"See you at lunch!" Ginny called to them with a smile as they made their way away from the dungeons. Re-gripping her books, she walked towards the Potions room door. She was about to smile at the trio of people walking out of the room, but held back when her eyes caught on the tell-tale green and black robes of Slytherin. Two dark heads were accompanied by a platinum one and her reaction was instantaneous. She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin to brace herself for the onslaught of expected insults. But there were none as they approached.

Wary as anyone in her position would be, Ginny tightened her hold on the books and made to walk by them. A sigh almost escaped her lips as she passed without them taking notice, but it was choked on when a small, purposeful shoulder suddenly rammed itself into Ginny's. The redhead watched in horror as the books scattered along the floor and let out a tiny shriek as she stepped on one of her own papers and fell directly onto her bum. There were two snickers behind her as she sat for a moment, cursing inwardly to the very devil himself. What a _charming_ way to begin the day.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Draco heard Pansy purposely run into someone, effectively causing books to crash to the ground in a sharp, unsyncopated staccato… and if Pansy were lucky, the person went as well. It was his usual routine to continue walking and throw insults at the sorry student's ability to walk, but something made him stop, turn and look. Lying on the cold stone floor, amid a messy pile of Potions textbooks and papers, was one of the red-headed Gryffindors he'd rather forget ever existed. This one especially.

The two of them had crossed paths in which they'd had to acknowledge the other's presence only three times in the five or so years they'd been at the school together… this one being the fourth. And one of those times, she'd leveled him with a particularly nasty Bat Bogey Hex… something he'd like to forget well into his next life.

He stared down at her for a moment or two with Parkinson and Zabini watching him closely in wait of his usual tirade of insults he aimed at all Weasleys, gender not-withstanding. But he shocked them all by reaching a hand out to her.

It was a tense moment in the hallway, Ginny sprawled undignified on the floor and staring at the long, tapered fingers on Draco Malfoy's hand with something close to horror and trepidation. When she looked up into his set face – the one he usually wore when he cursed her family as poor muggle-lovers – she saw that his eyes were a muted gray rather than the hard, stormy blue-gray that usually held stinging insults of their own.

Without looking away, she held out her own hand to the young man who had been the bane of her family's existence for the past five years. His touch was surprisingly warm for someone who tried so hard to come off as cold-blooded. That, and the short-lived unguarded look on his face told her so much more about him than a simple pure-blood surname could.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Ginny sat at her Potions station listening with half an ear to the chattering going on about her. Today's potion was simple… well, simple in the sense of its beginnings. The brewing of it thereafter would be complex. It was a Manifest Potion, a distant cousin to the Polyjuice Potion. Where the Polyjuice Potion was brewed for over a month and was meant to turn a person into another person, the Manifest Potion took only two weeks to prepare and turned a person into an object. The difficulty in brewing this particular potion was the vigilance needed in adding the ingredients the next fourteen days – weekends included. If one wasn't careful, they could turn themselves into half an object and be subjected to that shape for a week.

Professor Snape _had_ been in a right fine mood when the 6th years had all arrived. It had been such a mood that he'd actually assigned this potion – to which everyone had groaned. It meant two weeks dedicated to a boiling cauldron. Certain ingredients had to be added in a timely fashion, at an exact time in the fermenting process. It meant disrupted sleeping habits, long nights, early mornings and, quite possibly, missed extracurricular activities if students wanted to pass.

_Right fine mood, indeed_… Ginny grumbled to herself as she stirred her cauldron counter-clockwise the exact amount needed. With a sigh, she set the stirring rod down and prepared to write her foot of parchment on each of the ingredients. One day of cauldron-watching down… thirteen to go.

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the dungeon's doors before Madame Pomfrey stormed into the Potions classroom.

"Madame… to what do I owe this disruption?" Snape asked with his customary frown and stance.

"Severus! Quickly! I need your supply of antiseptic potion, your Regrow-A-Bone, and a heavy sleeping draught," she said. The Potions professor gave a put-upon look towards the ceiling, but quickly went to retrieve the requested items. When he returned, he'd come to the conclusion as to who would cause such a fuss.

"Has Mr. Potter come to a nasty end?" he asked. The bemused smirk told the entire class how he would feel about such an incident. Madame Pomfrey let out a snort.

"Not quite. Had an incident with one of our Hagrid's creatures, he did. Nothing a day's rest can't cure," she said, taking the proffered items from the professor.

"Pity," Snape muttered dryly. The nurse gave him a disproving look before turning and leaving the dungeon room in a flurry of robes. Despite the concern she felt for her friend, Ginny couldn't help but smile at the professor's grim face. The man had it in for Harry. Just like everyone in Slytherin…

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_"Oh look, Potter. You've got yourself a girlfriend…"_

It all had started so artlessly. Just one twelve-year-old making life hell for another twelve-year-old. Nemesis jeering the nemesis. He probably would have said more insulting things had Lucius Malfoy's silver-headed cane not interrupted with a harsh 'love-tap' on his shoulder.

His eyes had been maliciously set upon that dark head among a sea of red as the gaggle of Weasleys circled in to protect one they saw as their own. It made Draco envious… it made him hate them more than he could ever imagine.

But then, his eyes kept straying back to the smallest of the bunch. There really was nothing spectacular about her, all red hair, freckles, and ratty robes… and a scowl reserved just for him. She stood amongst her family protectively, no doubt having heard all about the big, bad Malfoys, clutching her second-hand cauldron to her like a shield. Whenever her tawny-brown eyes met his, he would put the customary glare on his face until she looked away.

And so, his newly discovered fascination with the small girl went unnoticed… even by his usually very observant father. But that could have been because of the brawl the elder Malfoy had gotten into with Arthur Weasley. Draco sniffed at the memory… it had been _very_ un-Malfoy-like. And it was pretty much the only day of his life that he would ever have more than an inkling of respect for the Weasley patriarch. It either took a lot of pluck or a fearless temper for anyone to take a swing at Lucius Malfoy.

Draco smirked as he thought of his father that day and the undignified blackened eye he carried, but it slipped off his face as his thoughts steadily progressed to other things. Standing outside in the cool fall air, he couldn't help but reflect over the day. Or, rather, his _actions_ of the day.

"Bloody hell," he exclaimed to himself as he leaned back against his usual tree along side the lake on the Hogwarts grounds. He should have known that his mind would immediately go back to the events of the hallway earlier.

He'd taken the girl's hand in his own for reasons he couldn't explain. The looks Parkinson and Zabini had shot him as they continued down to the dungeons had been slyly questioning. No doubt they thought him up to tricks they didn't know about. Strangely enough, there had been no ulterior motive. Ginny Weasley was safely tucked into the 'Do Not Touch' part of his mind. He didn't like her, he didn't hate her… she was simply a person he didn't think of. Or… that was the way it was supposed to go.

He'd admit to himself only that he thought of her more often than he should, but he could never really derive which side of the love-hate gamut she warranted. Draco didn't _know_ her, so he couldn't like her… but the same logic argued that he couldn't hate her either. And if he followed that same linear pattern, he really couldn't hate all the damned Weasleys. Of course, this completely contradicted what he'd been taught all his life by his bastard of a father.

So, rather than give himself a headache – a Malfoy didn't get headaches – trying to sort it all out, he would rather not think of Ginevra Weasley at all. It would lead to questions Draco was pretty sure he didn't want to answer. So, it was safer to be indifferent to all things with red hair with the exception of the Weasel King. _That_ particular redhead happened to be the physical manifestation of a temper tantrum. Annoying, really. Draco certainly had reason to hate that little slug-flinging, Potter-worshipping, mudblood-loving… He let out a sigh. It wasn't good to dwell on such thoughts. Draco made a wry face.

"Bloody Potter," he muttered as he lit a cigarette. Taking a deep drag, he let the smoke fill his lungs dangerously before slowly letting it filter out.

Draco had seen the way Potter had looked at the tall redhead earlier that day as she'd joined the protective circle of the Trio outside the Potions classroom. It was a look that Draco knew that he, himself, had often worn over the years when she was unaware of his scrutiny. It was only fitting that she was the subject of Potter's musings as well. He and the Boy-Who-Lived were rivals for everything else… why not this thing that bordered on obsession? Yet, it was just looks from both boys. And they were most likely doing no more than look for similar reasons.

It was sad, really, how Draco could compare his own reasoning to Harry Potter's noble logic. But there it was. There had been distractions that claimed Potter's attentions… Voldemort, the Tri-wizard travesty, Cho Chang, Cedric Diggory's death, that bloody Black character most would call Draco's own relation… But once he'd really looked at Ginny Weasley all-grown-up there'd been no excuse.

Potter had seen her over the course of their Hogwarts experience, no matter how much others would deny it. But he'd shielded those baser emotions to keep himself from dragging Ginny into something she could not get out of. It was the same reason Draco kept _his_ distance from her. It wouldn't be fair to the girl, _any_ girl really, no matter how unconsciously fixated each boy was, to drag her into either the destructive light or the destructive dark. For all of Potter's 'good', it was still going to destroy him and those he loved in the end.

Draco took a long drag on the cigarette he'd been ignoring before flicking it to the ground with a look of distaste. It was a disgusting, muggle-like habit that Blaise Zabini had introduced him to in their second year. Letting the smoke spill out through his pursed lips, he watched as the glow from the filter faded to black.

Shrugging his cloak closer to him, he thought about that damned Golden Trio again. Weasely and Granger were lucky. As much as they thought themselves heroes, it was Potter who could claim the title. And he wasn't a 'tragic hero' as much as he was a 'fated hero.' The distinction was monumental, and it was something Draco didn't envy at all. Potter would survive, that much the young Slytherin knew. He held no illusions as to how much power his rival had; and with Albus Dumbledore by his side, Potter's victory was assured. But surviving the battle did not necessarily mean surviving the aftermath. That would be a whole new world for Scarhead to endure. Draco, with his trademark half smirk on his face, only hoped that he would be alive to see Perfect Potter struggle…

A sudden, unexpected chorus of yells came from the direction of Hagrid's hut, startling Draco. The entire class of seventh years clamored up the hill, following the overgrown oaf of a Care of Magical Creatures instructor who looked to be carrying the inert form of the present subject of Draco's thoughts. It would seem as if Perfect Potter wasn't in so perfect form today. A slight pang of disappointment coursed through Draco's body at the thought of having skived off class and missed Potter's comeuppance at the hand of one of the giant's pets.

Even as disappointed as he was, Draco couldn't help the slight chuckle that slipped out of his lips. Potter had gone off and gotten himself injured two days before the Slytherin/Gryffindor Quidditch match. With a shake of his head, the blond boy started towards the castle. For the supposed last hope of the wizarding world, Potter could be such a bleeding idiot…

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**


	2. Part II

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Two days later…_

It was a cloudy, cool day on the Quidditch pitch. Perfect weather for all those involved… it was Gryffindor versus Slytherin. The grandstands were packed, as they always were for this most anticipated match of the year. It was predicted to be even _more_ exciting on this particular day since Harry Potter was taken off the roster due to the injury he'd sustained to his shoulder after an incident with one of Hagrid's new creatures. Ginny Weasley was taking his place, just as she'd successfully done two years before.

That being the case, said replacement was just as nervous as she had been the first time she'd taken his place. It was hard to fill Harry Potter's shoes... it was even harder to do so when Gryffindor was taking on Slytherin. This game alone knocked the two team's competitiveness a billion notches higher than a match between any of the other teams.

Ginny tried to control her quaking knees as she walked with the rest of her team to the middle of the pitch. The team captains, Draco and Ron, didn't bother with the hand-shake formality. The two, instead, settled for quick nods of their heads to acknowledge the other. It was as civil as the two boys would get under the watchful eye of Madame Hooch.

"Mount your brooms!" Madam Hooch's voice rang throughout the pitch. Ginny kicked off the ground and gave an audible gulp as she watched the big Slytherin goons, Crabbe and Goyle, do the same. The two were an intimidating pair of beaters and easily towered over any and all Gryffindor players. The chasers would have to watch out for the pair. Ginny was grateful she wasn't playing that particular position today.

Her mind snapped to the task at hand and her eyes immediately searched out her rival of the day. Draco Malfoy sat on his broomstick as if he belonged there. It had been spread about school after she'd arrived that only he and Harry Potter had excelled to levels beyond the normal wizard or witch in just their first year. She'd have to be at her best today to out fly the blond boy, especially knowing that his Slytherin nature was capable of anything in order to get the upper hand.

Despite all his internal ramblings at leaving the littlest Weasel to herself, Draco simply couldn't help it and found himself making his way closer to her.

"So, Potter got himself hurt and they've sent you to replace him. My, what _were_ those Gryffindors thinking?" he asked. To be honest, he'd watched her play chaser at the last Gryffindor match and knew exactly what her teammates had been thinking in moving her to back-up seeker. She had talent on a broom and could very well grow into being an excellent seeker. It was a shame that the world of red and gold circled around Potter. There were many lost in his shadow…

"Oh, bugger off, Malfoy," Ginny growled, her eyes watching the two teams take their positions. Draco smirked as the two of them took their own spots just slightly above the teams.

"Now, now, Weasley. That's not very sportsman-like," he said as he continued to fly lazily next to her.

"I'm surprised you know the concept," she said back, her eyes on the lookout for the snitch.

"You'd be amazed at what I know," he told her. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"I doubt it, very much," she said. Suddenly, and quicker than ever expected, a golden object flitted between the two, heading behind them towards the stands where the professors usually sat. Ginny and Draco looked at each other, each trying to anticipate the other's move. Draco gave her another smirk.

"Looks like we're off, Weasel," he said.

"Looks like, Ferret," she answered as she re-gripped her broom, preparing to do a quick turnabout.

"May the best rodent win, then," he told her cheekily as he dove quickly down, then up again and the righted himself to follow the path of their quarry. It was a spectacular move and gave him the advantage over Ginny's slower reaction as she followed after him. Draco Malfoy may have the superior flying ability between the two of them, but she had the advantage of being slightly smaller and lighter. It took her a matter of a few seconds to catch up to the tail end of the Slytherin's broom.

Cheers erupted in the stands as the game began in earnest, Ginny pushing inches closer after each second that passed. The two flew around the pitch at high rates of speed trying to catch the elusive game piece barely aware of each other's presence, both focused completely on the snitch.

Just then, a bludger narrowly missed the pair as they zoomed down closer to the pitch. It took some fancy flying on both of their parts to avoid the blasted thing, as well as each other, and then miss the ground as their avoidance took them perilously close to it. The cheers had quieted down as all eyes watched the two seekers right themselves. The only problem now was they had both lost sight of the snitch. Ginny heard Draco cursing under his breath and had to chuckle slightly at his originality. She mentally added a few curse words of her own as her eyes scanned the pitch again, hoping to catch a flash of gold.

The game dragged on for a long hour with the chasers of Gryffindor and Slytherin scoring on the other occasionally letting the score stand at Slytherin two goals ahead of Gryffindor. The Gryffindor chasers were putting up a fight, but without Ginny's aggressive agility they were having trouble keeping up with the Slytherin chaser's equally aggressive bulkiness. It was easier for the green and silver team to just roll over the smaller chasers.

Ginny smiled to herself as she heard a Gryffindor cheer erupt, signaling that one of her teammates had gotten a quaffle through the ring. They were only a score behind so far. All she needed to do was to find the snitch and end the blasted game. As if conjured by her thought, her eye caught on a gold flash just above the announcer's stand.

The flurry of green robes to her right told her that Draco had seen the snitch as well and she kicked herself into gear to catch up with the faster broom. The two of them picked up speed as they chased the winged object through the myriad of spectator stands, shouts and cheers picking up volume as the student body realized that the game was close to being decided. After a few quick loops around the pitch, Ginny pulled flush with Draco and spared the blond boy a quick glance, her ponytail whipping into her eyes as she did so. They were both focused on the golden snitch flittering now just beyond an arm's reach. Knowing that a seventeen-year-old boy's reach was going to be better than hers, Ginny willed her broom forward to give herself a fighting chance against the Slytherin seeker. With a smirk of triumph she reached her hand out to grip the elusive Quidditch piece. It caught her by surprise when her arm was tugged to her right. A collective gasp rolled through the Quidditch pitch stands. With wide eyes and a tug of her own, she looked to her rival to see his stormy grey eyes narrowed at her. From what Ginny could gather, he was equally surprised as her.

"Let go, Weasley, I caught it first," he hissed at her as their brooms began to slow and find their way to the ground. He gave another tug that almost displaced her from her seat. But Ginny just held on for dear life – to both her broom and the snitch.

"You did not, you cheating wanker. I caught it first," she hissed back. Draco landed first and gave a vicious tug on a wing of gold ball in their hands causing her to tumble off her broom. Thankfully, she'd landed on her padded knees. Another vicious tug from the Slytherin pulled her to her feet.

"Give it up, it's mine," Draco growled, glaring down at her. Ginny gave a yank on the wing she had a hold of, but it was no good. Her angry brown eyes looked up at him.

"It's mine… and I'll kick your arse but good if you don't leave off, you spoiled, arrogant git," she bit out. Draco smirked at her, his six foot some frame towering not too far over her own tall body.

"I'd like to see you try, Weasley," he sneered, completely unaware that the two teams had all landed and were making their way to where the two seekers were squabbling over their prize. The two continued to pull the gold object between them like children fighting over a toy.

"Give it to him, Weasley," a Slytherin player growled. "Or we'll make you give it to him…" There was a leering chuckle amongst the sea of green behind Draco. Their seeker gave a quick, malicious look over his shoulder, causing them to shut up. But it didn't satisfy Ron's temper as he moved closer to Ginny.

"Don't you rotters ever threaten my sister," he growled at them before looking at Draco. "It'd be in your best interest to give over the snitch. She caught it fair and square…"

"Or you'll what, Weasel King? Blush us all to death?" Draco drawled.

"Well, Draco, it _is_ the only thing he seems to excel at, no matter how useless…" Blaise Zabini commented, stepping up next to the blond.

"Why you…" Ron seethed as he stepped forward. Hermione had made it to the confrontation just in time to grip his red and gold robes to hold him back and hiss out a "No, Ron". The Slytherins all snickered as they saw this.

"Ah… Granger. Couldn't have a friendly chat without the mudblood," Draco smirked. Madame Hooch broke into the impending fray with a loud whistle.

"Enough!" she yelled, then turned to Draco. "I suggest you watch your language, Mr. Malfoy. I expect better of a seventh year. If I catch that rubbish coming out of your mouth one more time you will be serving detention every night up until graduation. Am I understood?" Draco stood up straight, chin going up, in acknowledgement of her question. Then, the quidditch referee took stock of the rest of the situation.

"Now…" her commanding voice called all eyes to where the outcome of the match resided. "… it seems to me there has been a simultaneous catching of the snitch. I've rarely seen a match having to be decided this way… but seeing as neither party is willing to relinquish hold, then we shall have to improvise. Miss Weasley, you shall receive 75 points for Gryffindor." The cheer that went up from her teammates was almost deafening. "Mr. Malfoy, you shall receive 75 points for Slytherin…" The Slytherin's cheer was equally loud. But then silence fell as the final point total was calculated. Ginny and Draco continued to grip the snitch and scowl at each other. Finally, a loud voice broke their stare.

"The final score for today's match…" Colin Creevy's voice started. It was cut with a quick groan. "Gryffindor 195, Slytherin 205. Slytherin has won the match!" A mixture of cries went up around the stadium as the echo of the scores faded. Team Gryffindor stared at the other team with a combination of anger and shock. The one goal they'd trailed by had cost them the game. The Slytherins were too busy celebrating to care, or to taunt the others with their victory. The red-robed bunch began their walk of defeat back to their locker rooms amid grumbling. Just as Ginny turned, a firm grip locked itself around her upper arm. The hand she'd flung up to ward off the arm was caught by her wrist.

"Where are you off to, little Gryffindor?" a deep drawl asked. Her eyes went up to the hard, smirking face of the Slytherin chaser she'd routed off repeatedly during the game. She suddenly wished she'd hurried after Ron, Harry and Hermione.

"I'm off, away from you," Ginny spat out as she struggled to get out of the boy's grip.

"Don't be like that, little Gryff… we just want to celebrate, is all," the boy said, his eyes alighting behind him for a second to where two of his hulking buddies were approaching. The grip on her wrist transformed into a crude mockery of what could be called a caress. Anger and fear warred within her, the anger quickly taking the majority.

"Let me go, you slimy git," she said. "Go find some Slytherin to celebrate with…" A beefy finger came up to run across her cheek making her skin crawl.

"But I have a sweet little Gryffindor right here," he said, causing his two friends to chuckle.

"For heaven's sake, Warrington, don't _touch_ it," a voice came from behind. All faces turned to see Draco Malfoy standing a few feet away leaning casually on his broom with a look of disgust at the thought of a Slytherin touching a Gryffindor. His look quickly transformed to 'bored'.

"Oh, come on, Malfoy. We're just having a bit of fun. You of all people should understand that," the Slytherin sixth-year said with a quick smirk. Draco's lip lifted in a wry smile, making him look dangerous.

"Oh, I would understand perfectly if it were the usual insults and general mayhem. But if you lay one finger on her, my Head Boy badge will obligate me to report you. You wouldn't put me in such a position, now would you, Warrington?" he asked. The three Slytherins looked at each other, and then looked at Draco. Being the undisputed power in the Slytherin House, Draco knew he had them.

Ginny watched in fascination as the three Slytherins backed away from her. She wasn't naïve… she knew exactly what kind of "celebrating" the three large boys had wanted. But that wasn't what had her transfixed. It was the fact that Draco Malfoy seemed to have a sense of _decency_. Of all people, she'd expected him to join in the taunts or to walk away without a care, leaving her to his "friends".

"C'mon gents, back to the common room," Warrington said after giving Ginny one more appraising look. The other two turned and followed him away from the now empty pitch. Ginny watched them go, her heart rate returning somewhat to normal, before she turned to Malfoy.

"Why did you do that?" she asked softly. Draco sneered, ruining whatever 'thanks' that sat at the tip of her tongue.

"Don't think it was out of the goodness of my heart, Weasley," he said, surprising her with his sudden acerbic tone. Ginny's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Oh, I doubt I would think that even if you had one, Ferret. I just want to know why you didn't just let them finish their little game. Surely it would have been amusing to you. Poor little Gryffindor being bullied by big, bad Slytherins. I though you gits got off on that," she said with bite.

"Oh? Feeling neglected, are we, Weasley?" he asked smoothly, stepping closer to her. "Would you rather I play my little games with you?" Ginny tilted her head back slightly to look at him. There was a steely glint in his eye that warned her not to trifle with him… but there was also something she'd _never_ seen in his eyes. It wasn't scorn or his perverted sense of amusement he got out of verbally pinning someone to the wall; it wasn't even that look that said the object of his attention meant nothing to him. It was a look that, on Draco Malfoy, was unclassifiable to her.

"I don't want games, Malfoy. I want to know why you helped me. Is it because you get some sort of twisted pleasure out of having a Weasley owe you? Because if that's the case, it was a wasted effort," she said.

"On that case we agree. A Weasley owing me anything would be a fruitless endeavor. You couldn't afford owing me," he said with an aristocratic lifting of his brow. Ginny's eyes narrowed.

"Well then, I can only conclude you were after my gratitude," she said. Draco scoffed.

"Gratitude? Please, Weasley. Don't insult me," he said.

"Oh? And if I asked the same of you, would you honor it?" she asked, crossing her arms. There was a quick twitch at the corner of Draco's lip.

"You're humorous, Weasley. Crude, poor and… redheaded… but _quite_ funny," he said. Ginny gave him a mock incredulous look.

"Draco Malfoy just gave me a compliment? First, rescuing me from his fellow bullies. Now, a compliment. My, what _is_ the world coming to?" she asked.

"Take it as you will. But I did not rescue you. I was using the opportunity to get one up on Warrington and his mates," he told her, a 'so there' smirk on his face. Ginny looked confused for a moment.

"Why? They're your cronies, are they not?" she asked, her arms re-crossing over her chest.

"If you think that I control all Slytherin with the snap of my fingers, you'd be mistaken, Weasley. For the most part, I don't give a thought to them. They have been taught to fear my name, not me. I have no respect for that," he said.

"Oh? Just as you all fear Voldemort?" she asked. Draco took a moment to admire the fact that she could say the Dark Lord's name without so much as a flinch.

"I do not fear Voldemort," he said simply, only slightly wary at the change of subject. Ginny looked slightly surprised.

"And that makes you the perfect heir for the Dark Lord, doesn't it?" she asked. Draco smirked.

"I'm not a Death Eater yet, Weasley. My time will come, and it will be more spectacular than the Dark Lord and Potter put together," he said. Ginny couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of disappointment.

"That eager, are we, to cause pain and bloodshed?" she asked. The blond's eyes narrowed.

"Do you expect mean, nasty, cruel Draco Malfoy to find redemption and fight along side your little band of misfits?" he sneered. Ginny's own eyes narrowed as she dropped her arms and stepped closer to him.

"You are not worth the wasted time," she growled and turned to walk away. He stopped her by grasping her wrist and turned her so his steel gray eyes bore into her own.

"What is redemption _but_ wasted time? We all have demons inside that can never be vanquished. They are what make us who we are. _They_ are the only masters we serve," he said. His grip on her wrist lightened somewhat. "That is why there is no right and wrong, no dark and light. This war will be a pompous test of strength, the strong versus the weak…. And the only true survivors will be those who are intelligent enough to stand in the shadows, pretending to be neither."

Ginny couldn't break his gaze after his bitter, cynical vocalization. It was the longest conversation, and the most revealing, of their acquaintance. His cryptic words echoed in her mind, but she couldn't make sense of them. And the thing that surprised her most was that she wanted to make sense of them. She wanted to understand what he was saying. And something in his eyes seemed desperate to make her understand…

"Ginny!" Ron and Hermione's voices broke into the shell that had enveloped both Ginny and Draco. The running pair was followed closely by Harry and Neville. Draco dropped her wrist as if it had burned him and took a step back, letting his usual scowl cross his face.

"Ah, the brave Gryffindors finally realized that they were missing something…" he drawled, stepping back.

"Shove off, Malfoy. Leave Ginny alone," Neville said. Draco's brow lifted at the usually quiet, stuttery boy.

"Grown into your shoes, have you Longbottom? Well, that takes the fun out of it for me, then," he said. The newly-arrived four glared at the blond, but only one noticed the over-long look between Ginny and Draco. After a moment, the Slytherin turned on his heel and headed towards the locker rooms.

"Are you alright, Ginny?" Harry asked, taking the question out of her brother's hands since he was too busy glaring at the retreating figure.

"I'm fine," she said in a voice that was stronger than she felt.

"What did the git say to you?" Ron asked, finally, the pink in his cheeks giving testament more to his seemingly endless agitation than to the chilly wind. Ginny let her eyes slide to her brother's.

"Nothing, Ron. Just his usual 'Weasleys are poor, red-haired muggle-lovers' speech," she said lightly. Hermione raised a disbelieving brow, but didn't say anything.

"Some Slytherins have mysteriously disappeared since last year… why couldn't the Ferret have been one of them?" Ron muttered darkly. Neville and Harry both smiled in agreement, but Hermione and Ginny both turned frowns on him.

"Don't wish bad things on others, Ronald. It's bad form," Hermione scolded. Ron let out a sputter.

"For Merlin's sake, 'Mione, it's bloody _Malfoy_… a Death Eater! He's wished us into oblivion gads of times. Not to mention, up until sixth year he had some sort of personal vendetta against _you_. I'd think you'd be cheering me on," he said. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"True, Malfoy has made my life uncomfortable at times, and his father has wished to eradicate muggles and half-bloods from the world entirely…" she said, stopping when she realized that she was starting to defend the boy.

"… but that's no reason to condemn a person for things we only suspect him of," Ginny finished for the older girl, causing the other four to look at her with surprise.

"You know how it's said… The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. It was his father that gave you that damned diary, Gin," Ron spat out.

"And it was his father that was among the Death Eaters at the Quidditch World Cup," Harry reminded her.

"And it was his father that was in the Ministry when we tried to rescue Sirius Black," Neville added quietly.

"We don't know that Malfoy _wasn't_ sitting around there in a black robe with them watching Dear Old Dad wreaking havoc," Ron said. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Do you notice the one similarity in all your prattling?" she asked. Ron, Harry and Neville looked between each other as Hermione rolled her eyes. Ginny let out a huff.

"You've all said 'his father'. Not one of us can help who we are related to. Harry…" she said, causing the dark-haired wizard to look at her. "You've your aunt's blood running through you. I don't see you as miserable as her. And Neville, your grandmum is a stony woman but you haven't turned out in her image. We Weasleys are pure-blooded wizards… there's bound to be unsavory blood running through us… yet here we are…" Ginny trailed off as each of her friends gave slight nods and looked to the ground. Then, her brother's head came up as he looked at her appraisingly for a silent moment.

"Why are you making excuses for Draco Malfoy?" Ron asked. All four pairs of eyes were now on her as she stuttered out an answer.

"I… I… don't know," she said honestly. Well, she _did_ know, it's just that she wished she didn't. And it wasn't going to endear her to her brother if she explained what she knew… Maybe it was because Draco had helped her in front of his nasty Slytherin housemates. She was just returning the favor. It wasn't permanent. Ginny winced as she heard the comeback in her head - it was in Ron's outraged voice… _By Merlin's beard, it had better well not be bloody permanent!_

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**


	3. Part III

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Gryffindor Common room…_

Hermione, Ron and Harry all sat with their heads close together in the common room later that evening. Ron and Harry were in the middle of a game of wizard's chess.

"Do you think he's got it in for her?" Ron asked, a worried frown marring his features as he looked over his next move.

"Why would you think that?" Hermione asked, arms wrapped around her knees and watching the boys' progress.

"Well, she _did_ hex him back in 5th year. They had words, of course. It's the only time I can think of that they've ever crossed paths enough… Maybe he's got some outlandish sort of revenge planned…" Ron conjectured. Hermione gave him a look.

"Do you honestly think that Malfoy has been sitting on this supposed revenge for two years and is just being subtle about it?" she asked. Harry let out a quick laugh.

"There's not a subtle bone in Malfoy's body," he said as he moved a chess piece.

"The git _did _have a mass of bat bogeys attached to his face. It's also our last year here. He could be planning something for later and then he won't have to worry about being expelled," Ron said as he moved his queen to take Harry's knight. Hermione thought over the looks she'd seen on both Ginny's and Malfoy's face. It didn't seem as if there was an overabundance of animosity between the two. At least none that called for giving credence to the revenge theory.

"I doubt it, Ron. Besides, I don't think Ginny told us everything," Hermione said finally. Ron looked over at her.

"What do you think she didn't tell us?" he asked. The bushy-haired girl frowned.

"I don't exactly know, but it didn't look like the usual situation we come across when Malfoy's involved," she said as Harry tried to take advantage of his redheaded friend's inattention to the game and moved his king.

"He _was_ talking to your sister… and we all know quite well how Weasley's rate in Malfoy's mind. And it didn't seem as if Ginny was cursing him into the ground…" Harry noted. Ron's attention went back to the board and quickly put Harry's king in check, causing the dark-haired wizard to sigh.

"…Yet… We didn't give her a chance to. The mincer's been quiet since last year, barely causing trouble, even with us. I think he's been _too_ quiet," Ron said, frowning again.

"You're just looking for trouble. Everyone's got to grow up sometime, Ron," Hermione said, causing Ron to let out a disbelieving snort as it applied to Malfoy. "… but that doesn't mean we should watch out for him any less…" Ron seemed mollified by this answer and went back to concentrating on the chess board.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_The next day…_

Ginny walked along side of Harry as the two went in search of Ron and Hermione. The morning had been lovely for almost being winter and most students took advantage of the weather and spent their off time outdoors. The two of them chatted amiably over Hagrid's new creatures when raucous laughter was heard.

Ginny held up a hand, interrupting what Harry was going to say as her eyes spotted a group of Slytherins.

"What is going on over… Oh for Merlin's sake!" Ginny cried as she stomped over to where Draco was giving poor Neville the demonstration he'd avoided yesterday at the pitch.

"Not so talkative without Scarhead and his pack about, are you Longbottom?" Draco sneered as he held his wand on the boy, who was currently being held up with only his toes skimming the ground. Ginny inserted herself in the fray and lowered Draco's wand for him. Immediately, Neville was dumped onto the ground as the magic holding him was broken.

"Leave him alone, Malfoy… What's he done to you?" she asked with a frown, her eyes focusing on the blond.

"Well, it's more that he exists, really, if you want to get to the dirt of it," Malfoy said causing all of his Slytherin housemates to laugh. "A disgrace to wizard kind…"

"You think you're funny, Malfoy, but you're just an arrogant, bullying sod. Leave him alone…" she said. Harry stood slightly behind the group and helped Neville to his feet. He watched Ginny interact with the Slytherin and couldn't help being reminded of another situation that was now frighteningly familiar.

_"Leave him alone. What's he done to you?" Lily Evans's voice scolded._

_"Well, it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean…" James Potter answered her with a devilish smile._

_"You think you're funny, but you're just an arrogant, bullying toe rag, Potter. Leave him alone…"_

Harry shook his head away from a memory that wasn't his own and focused back on the confrontation ahead of him.

"She's in for it now, isn't she, Harry?" Neville asked quietly, his worried gaze settling on the pair now standing all but nose to nose. Draco's Slytherin companions all took a step back as the two began to fling insults back and forth. The two really had it down to an art form, if Harry had to admit it. But it was the approach of a scowling Professor Snape that had Harry reaching forward to tug on Ginny's robes.

"We've got to go, Gin. We haven't found Ron or Hermione. Plus, you've got Ancient Runes and I've got Transfiguration. We'll both be late if we don't go now…" he said. The redhead gave one more glare to the blond and turned to walk away.

"It'd do you good to have another Bat-Bogey Hex, Malfoy," she threw over her shoulder. Draco just laughed.

"I know your game, Weasley. Try it, and we'll see what happens," he told her. Ginny didn't look back, but instead grumbled something about pus pimples and jelly legs that neither Harry nor Neville could make out as she stomped by both of them.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

"You should have seen them…" Harry said. "They were pretty much in each other's faces…" Hermione and Ron looked at each other and then looked back at Harry.

"You think he's got it in for her now?" Ron asked. Harry shrugged.

"I don't know. It was just weird to see them throwing all those insults back and forth without pulling a wand on each other," he said. Ron shook his head sadly.

"If she said what you said she did, Mum would be washing her mouth out for a week," he said. Hermione nudged Ron to quiet him as Ginny approached. She smiled at them before she made her way outdoors with a couple of her friends.

"Should we follow her?" Ron asked. Harry shrugged again. Hermione scoffed.

"Honestly, you two. Ginny can take care of herself. She proved it when she hexed Malfoy before and she's proving it every time she stands up to the prat," she said. Ron sighed.

"That still doesn't mean he's not out to get her," he said.

"You just want an excuse to hex his bits off," Harry grinned. Ron grinned back.

"It'd be a comfort to know he couldn't reproduce," he said. Harry chuckled as Hermione rolled her eyes. The trio continued their talk as they made their way outside.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Draco watched her from where he stood. She was among her little Gryffindor mates laughing and talking animatedly as they roamed the school yard between classes. It had taken him a long while to fall asleep the night before as he'd thought over his conversation with the youngest Weasley after the quidditch match. It was unlike him to spout off his own personal campaign speech to a virtual stranger, much less a bloody do-gooder Gryffindor.

But there was something about her presence that made him want to. There was a look in her brown eyes that made her out to be more than just a Gryffindor. Looking at her, she was somewhat above the house classification. In his dealings with her, she embodied more than just the Gryffindor qualities. She had a bit of every house in her – Ravenclaw brains, Slytherin cunning, Hufflepuff empathy, and of course the notorious Gryffindor bravery, among other things – and if there'd been such a thing, she'd have her own house.

Ginny Weasley was unclassifiable… and to Draco Malfoy, it was as frustrating as it was admirable and infuriating. Just as he'd been amused and infuriated by their confrontation over Longbottom earlier. She'd stood up to him and told him in no uncertain terms where to go and what to do there. The littlest Weasley had been quite creative in her condemnations of him.

So, it would have been an utter understatement to say that it caught him off guard when her brown eyes met his as she blew off her housemates with a half-hearted wave. There was only a slight hesitation in her step as she began in his direction, the look on her face troubled, as if she weren't sure what she was setting off to do. It caused Draco to chuckle slightly.

Troubled was not an expression one usually held while approaching him. Usually it was anger, like her brother the Weasel King, or maybe the simpering adoration that Pansy Parkinson annoyingly bequeathed to him, or even the detached respect from the rest of his housemates or the fear being of general consensus. No, 'troubled' was never one of the usual suspects when dealing with him. So, he stood at the edge of the Forbidden Forest and watched her as she approached him with determination worthy of a Gryffindor and a frown worthy of a Slytherin. His curiosity was peaked as to why she would _wish_ to approach him considering their unsavory past dealings. With her lengthy stride, he wouldn't have to wait long for his answer.

"To what do I owe the undoubted honor of your presence, Weasley?" he asked in his normal snotty way as she stopped in front of him. Her frown deepened for a moment before it slipped off her face entirely. Her brown eyes looked warily around the area as if to make sure her three nannies were no where around. Draco rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms, shifted on his feet, and looked around with an impatient air.

"I don't have all bloody day," he said, causing her to look back at him.

"I just wanted…" she said, her eyes darting around again, "… that… well…" Draco let out a beleaguered sigh and fell to an old favorite.

"Do all you Weasleys have trouble putting more than two words together?"

"I'm just trying to tell you…" she stuttered again, frustrated with herself at being unable to say what she wanted to say.

"Please spit it out. It's painful to have to listen to you," he butted in.

"I'm trying," she growled, about ready to just leave the insufferable prat to his own acerbic self.

"Do try a bit harder then," he prompted. Ginny's eyes narrowed.

"God Draco… do you have to make things so difficult?" she asked, hands on her hips.

"Do I _Ginny_?" he asked, his gray eyes holding amusement at the use of his first name. Ginny scowled at him, prompting him to make the amusement more noticeable.

"All I'm trying to do is thank you properly for what you did yesterday after the match… I never got a chance to since you were being such a prat," she said. She crossed her arms with a huff, imparting the fact that she thought he was _still_ being a prat.

"I believe we covered the fact that I don't want your gratitude," he said nonchalantly.

"I know your reasons. But that's too bloody bad. You've got my gratitude. Now live with it, you shirty git," she said before lifting her chin and turning to walk away. The conversation had obviously not gone the way she would have wished, as evidenced by the rearing of her temper. His hand reached out quickly and gripped her upper arm, stopping her. It was the second time he'd kept her from walking away from him… rather than dwell on the reasons, he struck out instead.

"Is there another reason you keep searching me out, Weasley? You're making a bloke wonder, since I've seen more of you in the past few days than I have in seven years of being within the same stone walls," he commented, an insinuating smirk in place. Her head turned to look at him and when he was about to say something more he was cut off by the one voice he hated more than anything.

"Leave her alone, Malfoy…" Harry's voice warned. Draco turned to look at the dark-haired wizard, not dropping Ginny's arm.

"Here to save the day again, Potter?" he drawled. The two boys glared at each other with Ginny looking between them.

"Oh would you two grow up!" she suddenly exclaimed. Harry looked at her with wide eyes and Draco just lifted an elegant brow. "You two find excuses to glower at each other over the smallest bits and I refuse to be one of them," she told them firmly, tugging her arm free of Draco.

"Gin," Harry started, but the redhead held up her hand.

"No Harry… Malfoy and I were having a conversation that didn't include you. You had no reason to butt in. If I'd needed your assistance, you would have known it. You're getting as bad as Ron, honestly," she told him, causing the wizard to look a little abashed… and Draco to smirk. But she rounded on the blond as well.

"And you! Must you bait everyone in your presence into a sodding argument?" she asked. Draco frowned.

"Now see here, Weasley…" he started to prove her point until a horrible scream disturbed the air. It hadn't been loud, but it was easily heard by them. The three were still, eyes wide. It had come from deep within the forest and whether it was a human or an animal cry was very much indistinguishable. The trio was silent as they waited for another blood curdling cry. It never came.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Draco asked, looking with a deep frown into the sea of trees. Harry shook his head, not knowing. Ginny didn't answer, but steeled her jaw and marched towards the forest. Both boys watched in astonishment before they both scrambled after her.

"What are you on about, Weasley?" Draco called after her.

"I'm going to find out what that was!" she called back.

"Ginny, no! It could be dangerous!" Harry called, trying to catch up to her.

"You've enough practice with dangerous, Harry. Someone could be hurt!" she said back. Draco watched her back doubtfully. That scream had _not_ been a scream of mere injury.

"Stupid Gryffindor," he muttered before lengthening his stride. Harry lagged behind slightly.

"If you don't want your little girlfriend to die, or worse yet, be alone in my company, you'd best come along, Potter!" the Slytherin called over his shoulder. Harry hesitated for only a second, his feeling of unease growing with each step closer to the Forbidden Forest.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

"Where did Harry go?" Ron asked. Hermione turned from her conversation to look around the grounds.

"I've no idea. Maybe he went back inside," she said. Ron huffed.

"Without telling us?" he asked. Hermione smiled at her not-quite-boyfriend.

"Does Harry have to check in with his Mum before he goes off?" she teased. Ron's eyes widened at her question.

"Hermione…" he almost whined. She grinned at him as she took his arm.

"Honestly, Ronald… You and Harry can survive ten minutes without knowing exactly what the other is doing, can't you?" she asked. Ron relaxed at her continued teasing, removing her arm from around his and then wrapping it around her shoulders lightly.

"Well, 'Mione, you know how Harry tends to get into trouble without us around," he said with mock haughtiness causing Hermione to giggle.

"You just don't want to miss the adventure…" she commented, wrapping her arm around his waist. He looked down at her with a smile.

"Oh and you do?" he asked. She sighed as she hugged him slightly closer, wishing beyond wishing that the redheaded dunce could take a glaringly obvious hint.

"I could do without an adventure for a while. This is our last year here… I'd like to have a bit of normalcy, if it isn't asking too much," she said. And those, as always, were the ever famous last words…

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

**_To be continued... _**


	4. Part IV

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Forbidden __Forest__…_

"Since we've ventured along to make sure you don't find your grisly end, Weasley, it'd be polite of you to wait for us," Draco pointed out. Ginny let out an un-ladylike snort.

"You wouldn't know polite if it jumped up and bit you on your conceited little arse. Besides, I never asked for Your Highness to escort me," she said, keeping her pace brisk and her fingers brushing the comforting wood of her wand in her robe pocket.

"It's good of you to recognize my place in the hierarchy," Draco drawled. Ginny looked over her shoulder at the boy and rolled her eyes before marching ahead. The trio kept on walking in a discomfiting silence, winding their way through trees and over the rolling land. Ginny made her way over yet another knoll and let out a small shriek as her foot tripped over something and she fell to the ground.

Both boys hurried over the small hill when they heard a second, almost strangled shriek from the redhead. When they were within view again, they found Ginny almost face to face with the unmoving body of a fifth-year Hufflepuff. Not one of them could place the boy's name at the moment, but they knew he was dead. Harry and Draco both drew their wands as Ginny continued to stare, transfixed in horror, at the boy's lifeless face.

"We've got to get back to Dumbledore…" Harry said quietly, his eyes looking quickly around for whatever may have been fatal to the student. Draco's eyes also searched the area, but he made his way towards Ginny.

"Let's be off, Weasley," he said, giving a quick tug at the hood of her robe. "We can't stick around here…" Ginny blinked, bringing herself back to the moment. Her heart was beating wildly as the direness of the situation finally hit her.

"It wasn't an animal that did this…" she trailed off. Draco and Harry both watched her closely as she took a closer look. Suddenly, a cool prickling at the back of his neck had Draco shoving Harry to the ground and reaching for Ginny. His fingers gripped the material of her robes and pulled her roughly back towards him. He landed on his back with Ginny half on, half off of him and looked up in time to see the green flash of deadly magic just miss them.

For a second he also saw spots since Ginny's elbow had connected with his forehead in the fall. He blinked a few times to clear his head, but heard Harry cast the Immobulus spell and quickly got to his feet in time to see a dark cloaked figure stop in his tracks. Knowing full well that a Death Eater would only be partially affected by any magic he, Harry or Ginny could conjure Draco, with Harry's help, roughly dragged Ginny to her feet and began to run back towards Hogwarts.

"Don't look back. Just keep running. There could be more of them," Draco hissed.

"If there are more of them, we'll never make it out of here alive," Ginny said, struggling to find the pace of the taller boys who'd gripped her arms.

"Where's your Gryffindor optimism?" Draco sneered, pulling her along just a little bit faster.

"Excuse me if I left it behind with the unfortunate Hufflepuff…" she growled.

"Would you two shut it? Your arguing will lead them right to us!" Harry scolded as they approached the tree line that presented a slight sense of safety. The three of them burst out of the forest and ran quickly to where students were still mingling.

"Harry!" Hermione called as she saw her friend. As she and Ron rushed to meet the other three, they took in the disheveled appearances – especially that of the usually perfect Draco Malfoy – and the worrisome looks on their faces.

"Merlin!" Ron exclaimed. "You lot look as if you've seen You-Know-Who dancing around in frilly knickers… or completely starkers…" The boy shuddered at the thought.

"Not now, Ron," Ginny said, shaking off the two boys' hands.

"We need to see Dumbledore… immediately…" Draco said and began to march towards the castle, Ginny following close behind him and Harry continuing after. Ron and Hermione gave each other confused looks before running after them as well. Their entreaties to know what was going on were ignored as the five of them wound their way through the school towards the headmaster's office. The trek was hampered as Professor McGonagall stepped into the hallway from her Transfiguration classroom.

"You five should be on your way to your classes – of which I am fully aware that they are not in this particular corridor," she said with a stern look on her time-worn face. Ron and Hermione opened their mouths to speak but were beaten to the punch.

"We're going to speak to Professor Dumbledore. Right now," Draco's autocratic voice all but ordered. Professor McGonagall didn't know what to be more surprised at: the dirt smudging the blond boy's usually spotless face, the fact that he'd actually used Albus Dumbledore's name with respect, or that he'd included himself willingly in a joint "we" that included two Weasleys, Granger and Potter… all Gryffindors.

"What is your purpose, Mr. Malfoy?" McGonagall asked, a brow arched. Draco scowled his usual scowl.

"There is a very dead Theodore Jordan in the Forbidden Forest and you want to know my purpose?" he asked, his own brow rising. Professor McGonagall sucked in a breath and motioned for them to follow her.

The five of them kept close as the willowy professor led them through the hallways to the archway that led up to Professor Dumbledore's office.

"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes," Professor McGonagall muttered. Ron and Ginny smiled slightly with pride at the Headmaster's choice of passwords. Draco just rolled his eyes. The spiral staircase began its ascent to its destination, Professor McGonagall stepping onto the steps and leading the way.

"Ah, my dear Minerva…" Dumbledore greeted as she stepped into his office. His eyes followed the teenagers as they filed in behind her. "And Ms. Weasley, Ms. Granger… Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Weasley…" The old wizard stepped out from behind his desk and awaited the first to speak with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir…" Ginny started. "We… well… There…" Draco rolled his eyes again.

"What Weasley is trying to say is that Theodore Jordan bit it in the Forbidden Forest," he drawled. The other four teenagers looked over at him with frowns. He continued to look dispassionately at Professor Dumbledore. The headmaster did not look surprised, but he brought a hand to his chin.

"Yes. Hufflepuff… fifth year. Are you sure that he is dead?" he asked gently. Harry looked to Ginny. She took a hard swallow and nodded her head.

"I had a close up look, Professor. He… he was dead. It must have been the killing curse," she said. Ron wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him gratefully. She'd experienced evil and fear in her first year, but rarely had she ever had it so starkly shown to her.

"The killing curse was leveled our way as well, Professor," Harry said. His eyes darted to the Slytherin and then back to the headmaster. "If it hadn't been… if it hadn't been for Malfoy, we'd all be dead." Dumbledore's eyes took on a knowing look.

"A Death Eater," he said. Ginny and Harry gave emphatic nods while Draco inclined his head just once.

"A Death Eater? On Hogwarts grounds, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked with a frown. Dumbledore waved the question away.

"Did he reveal himself in any way?" he asked, his bearded face very serious.

"No," Harry and Ginny both answered with shakes of their head. The headmaster nodded at the two of them, but looked to Draco expectantly. The blond was silent as he returned the look.

"It was my father," Draco said suddenly, his eyes taking interest in his dirtied shoes. All heads turned to him in shock.

"Your father?" Ron exclaimed.

"Isn't he in Azkaban?" Hermione asked, unsure of what response she would get from the Slytherin next to her. There was silence as all waited for Draco's answer. The blond head rose and his grey eyes met the headmaster's, unflinchingly stoic.

"He was," was all he said. Professor Dumbledore studied the young man staring back at him. He then gave a small smile.

"Very well…" he said. "Forewarned is forearmed, or however the saying goes. All students will refrain from free reign of the grounds and all Hogsmeade visits are suspended until further notice. All instructors should be notified immediately. Now, you should all go down to dinner… except, perhaps, Mr. Malfoy… if you please, I would wish to speak to you…"

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Ginny walked out of Dumbledore's office still slightly in shock. Ron had taken her hand and led her out.

"I just don't understand. Why would Lucius Malfoy, just escaped from prison, come to Hogwarts grounds and try to kill his Death Eater son?" Ron asked the question they were all thinking. Harry shook his head.

"I don't know, Ron," he said. But Hermione had a thoughtful frown on her face.

"Maybe he wasn't here to kill anyone. Maybe he was hiding here. It isn't exactly the first place one would look for an escaped Death Eater," she said. "In addition, it would be close to his son. We're not sure of Malfoy's intentions. Maybe his father isn't either. That way, it is taking care of two things at once. Hiding… and observing his son…" Ginny frowned at Hermione's way of thinking. If she was correct, then Malfoy was in as much danger as they were, if not more. She wasn't sure why her heart started racing at that thought…

"Are you okay, Gin?" Ron asked. When she looked up, she saw that concern marred her brother's face, making his freckles more pronounced. Hermione and Harry were both watching her as well. The fact that all their attention was now on her rankled a bit, especially since Harry had been through the exact same experience.

"I'm fine," she said, at that moment honestly meaning it. But her mind was surprisingly back in Dumbledore's office with a blond, pale Slytherin.

"You have a scratch on your face," Hermione's voice broke in. "You had better have Madame Pomfrey take a look at it." Ginny's hand went up t her face. It was tender in a few areas where she'd fallen on the ground and she knew that she'd also have a few bruises as well… especially on the arm that Draco had so ruthlessly tugged. The redheaded girl nodded, placating her brother and friends.

"I'll go before dinner," she affirmed. Suitably relieved, the trio nodded and turned to start down the hallway, not noticing that Ginny failed to follow them. She stood still, watching the three friends go. There was a small pang in her heart that wished she could claim to be as close to each of them as they were to each other. But it was a _small_ pang…

"Breaking the rules already? I'd expect better of a Gryffindor… As Head Boy, I should take points," Draco's voice snapped her attention back. She turned to face him slowly, her eyes taking in his appearance. His hair was neatly tousled, his robes scourgified back to their crisp black and green, and his thin face was set… only just a mite more pale than usual.

"Breaking the rules?" she asked finally. Gray eyes rolled once more as he began to walk, Ginny falling into step with him.

"No student is to wander about all by their lonesome. By decree of the headmaster," he drawled.

"Well, you're out wandering about," Ginny noted. Draco looked over at her.

"All the more reason you should be hurrying along. Can't be seen with a nasty Slytherin… think of the hell you'd catch from your Gryffindor mates," he said. This time Ginny rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything for a moment. Their footsteps echoed in the silent hallway.

"I wanted to see if you were alright," the redhead admitted. Draco's step faltered only slightly at her concern. Finally, he stopped altogether, causing Ginny to stop as well.

"Why?" he asked. Ginny's eyes searched his face.

"No one deserves a Death Eater for a father," she said. Draco's shoulders straightened as he pulled up to his full six foot-some height and looked down his nose at her.

"Even someone like me, right, Weasley?" he asked harshly. Her hand kept him from walking away from her as her brown eyes burned in anger.

"Don't you _dare_ put words in my mouth, Malfoy! If that was what I thought, I'd have bloody well said it," she bit out. "You may be a pompous, near-insufferable, officious, arrogant brat, but you're just like the rest of us." He arched a brow, but held back his own insults, awaiting an explanation to her cryptic comment.

"Human," she clarified. Draco's gaze combed the corridor, looking anywhere but at her. She took a small amount of pleasure at having unnerved him.

"That's been debated quite thoroughly, I'm sure," he muttered dryly before locking his gaze back on her.

"Near-insufferable?" he asked after a moment, a silent laugh suddenly lighting his eyes. The change in demeanor had her stunned for a moment. He was more moody than a woman at times. Still, Ginny tried valiantly to fight off the tell-tale blush from crossing her cheeks… and she almost accomplished the feat. But the tips of her ears gave it away – the Weasley curse.

"Well, you know full well…" she started to bluster.

"I don't think I've ever been paid such an honest compliment, especially from a Gryffindor," he cut in as he continued to walk in the direction of the Great Hall. Ginny watched for a second before stamping her foot in frustration and following after.

"You never answered me, Malfoy," she said. Draco smirked.

"I don't answer to a Weasley," he said. Ginny frowned. _And they were almost getting along so well…_

"Fine then, Malfoy… be that way. I don't care anyway," she said, her words contradicting her earlier actions. She was about to quicken her pace to sweep by him, but his hands shot out and gripped her upper arms, turning her towards him as they stopped. Ginny didn't have time to react or spit out further condemnation.

His lips, just like his hand had done the day she tried often not to think about, surprised her with their warmth as they set themselves gently against her own. His grip did not fall from her arms, instead it pulled her closer. She welcomed it as she lost herself in the gentle touch.

Kissing Draco Malfoy was like nothing she'd ever experienced before, nor ever _thought_ to experience. Ginny's mind told her that she should be resisting… with everything that was Weasley within her, for that matter. But when one pale hand came up to rest against her cheek, his long, thin fingers as light as a butterfly's touch, she melted even further into the kiss. The lightness of the embrace was a distinct contradiction to the passion that seemed to flare up between them. Only when it seemed to overwhelm them both did they step back from each other.

Ginny's cheeks were flushed and her eyes roamed over Draco's face in confusion. He stood straight, his eyes watching her, but no emotion cracking over his face. He was as cool as she was confused. The only tell-tale sign that he had been anywhere near affected was the pounding pulse Ginny could see at his neck and it made her feel infinitely better.

"To answer your question, Weasley, I think I may be doing better than I first thought," he said before sweeping away from her, his robes billowing after him in a way typical of a Slytherin as he walked quickly towards the dungeons and away from the Great Hall. Confusion still flitted around in his wake, but the sudden lightness in her heart kept Ginny from dwelling on it.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**


	5. Part V

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

It was a week later and he still couldn't believe he kissed her. He'd kissed plenty of girls over his tenure at Hogwarts. In fact, he'd lost count how many halfway into his fifth year or sometime around then. He'd had a lot on his mind at that point… the Inquisitorial Squad, Lucius, the Dark Lord, Potter… Still, he'd kissed plenty of girls…

But, in spite of all that, he could only dwell on the fact that he had kissed Ginny Weasley. Her look of confusion after he'd released her mirrored the feeling overtaking his body. Over the years, he'd been undeniably fascinated with the girl. And over the years, he'd buried it so deep in order to protect himself and her from something that could end up disastrous.

The news of his father's escape from Azkaban had spread like wildfire. Just that morning there had been an article about it in the _Daily Prophet_ and _Wizard Weekly_. And since the news first broke around school, everyone had been treating him with kid gloves. Draco couldn't really be all that surprised. No one knew how he was going to react… especially since his threats two years ago when Lucius had been caught. And his uncharacteristically quiet, aloof behavior as of late only served to make people more wary of him.

Yet that kiss still ran through his head and distracted him at the most inopportune moments. Like just now. He held a hand to the side of his head where the bludger had hit him.

"Watch what you are doing and where you're hitting that bloody thing!" he yelled to his teammate. The fourth year looked confused.

"But Draco…" he stuttered. Draco leveled the boy a healthy glare. He shut up immediately and almost cowered in fear.

Draco was fully aware that the incident was of his doing. It was his own inattention that caused the stinging pain that radiated over his cheek. But he didn't need to say so. Not when he could blame it on the unfortunate fourth year.

He'd like to go so far as to blame that damned kiss on someone else as well. Particularly, a female Weasley. How was he to know that she could do it so well and effectively wipe everything from his head? But alas, the kiss had been his doing as well. _Bloody hell._

His concentration on quidditch now well and truly gone, he called a halt to his teammates.

"If we're going to win the Quidditch Cup this year we'll need to do better than the sorry excuse of playing I've seen today," he bit out as everyone landed. "I have no patience today to teach all of you wankers how to play the sport again. We'll practice tomorrow morning. Now clear off…" He gave Crabbe and Goyle a look that said he wanted them gone too. All he wanted was time to himself. More to curse himself for his stupidity than anything. What had he been thinking, kissing a Weasley? Nothing good could come of it. _He_ wasn't good. He was never going to _be_ good. And she was nothing but. It was better if they stayed away from each other.

With that thought in mind, he walked briskly back to the school. He wasn't going to bother with the locker rooms. He'd rather go to his private room and curse like a fool without everyone looking at him like he was one.

His mood didn't improve when he walked into the front doors and saw the one person he was trying to push from his mind making her way to the Great Hall with her gigantic oaf of a brother. Rather than turn tail and run back outside, he made his way up the stairs.

Their eyes met as they passed each other in the hallway, but he lifted his chin and focused in front of him as if she didn't even exist. Draco could feel the glare at his back and he smiled to himself. They would be back where they belonged with a few sharp, caustic exchanges.

And a steamy snogging session with one of the Slytherin girls could only improve matters…

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Hermione, Luna, Ron and Ginny walked slowly through the halls toward the Great Hall discussing the upcoming weekend.

"Ginny, do you want to come to Hogsmeade with us?" Ron asked her. Ginny had to shake her head.

"Sorry, Ron. I can't. Snape's got us looking after our Potions cauldrons the rest of this week. Plus, it won't be all that much fun. Aurors will be scouring the place. I'd prefer to avoid all that," she said. With a quick look at Hermione, Ginny saw the girl's shoulders relax significantly. The idea of a weekend alone with Ron obviously didn't bother the bushy-haired girl. No matter that ever-vigilant Auror eyeswere going to be a permanent fixture there for a while...

"What about Harry? Isn't he going with you?" she couldn't help but ask. Ron gave his sister a smirk, thinking he understood the true nature of the question.

"Actually, he's got a meeting with Dumbledore. He's been meeting with him a lot lately…" he said with a concerned frown. He shook it off knowing that if Harry needed help, he'd ask for it. So, he then turned to Luna.

"How about you? You want to come with Hermione and me to Hogsmeade?"

Ginny looked at the blond girl first, who nodded, and then looked at Hermione. The older girl looked as if her teeth were being mashed into dust.

"I forgot," Hermione ground out. "I've got an Arithmancy paper due later today. I'd best go make sure it's ready." Ron gave her a confused look.

"But lunch…" he said. Hermione's dark look didn't change.

"I'm not hungry," she said. With that, she turned and headed back towards the Gryffindor common room. With a mixture of amusement and frustration, Ginny watched her brother shake his head.

"She's had that paper done for weeks," Ron muttered. "She's just mental…" Ginny stifled a disbelieving snicker as they approached their destination. The doors to the hall opened and a group of students emerged. Her traitorous breath hitched slightly as she caught a glimpse of the one Slytherin she both wanted and didn't want to see enter the front doors.

It was a week later and she still couldn't believe he kissed her. Of all the people at Hogwarts that she'd ever thought about kissing, he'd never been one of them. And now that she _had_ kissed him, she constantly wondered why she hadn't thought about it. When he wasn't sneering, Draco Malfoy was quite good looking. He'd grown into his pointed features over the past year or so and she'd heard may girls - Gryffindors included – giggle themselves barmy over the Prat of Hogwarts.

Just as she mentally chided herself for thinking about him, the object of her musings ascended the front staircase. She wasn't sure what, exactly, she expected from him after the… incident… but the look he gave her as their eyes met wasn't it. He then turned his nose up at her and walked by as if he'd never even seen her. She glared at his back as he continued on. And to think that they could possibly be civil… _Ha_… That look he'd given her had been anything but.

Ron, as unobservant as he usually was, caught the quick look between his sister and his mortal enemy. He stopped walking as he noticed Ginny's sudden change in disposition.

"What the bloody hell was that?" he growled. Ginny's head snapped up to look at her brother as she stopped walking as well.

"What the bloody hell was what?" she asked. Ron gave her a glower.

"That look," he said. Ginny frowned.

"What look?" she asked. He crossed his arms angrily, trying to use his height to intimidate her into answering his questions.

"Don't play daft, Ginny," he said. "The look between you and Malfoy…" Ginny's jaw dropped open in answer but no words came out.

"There was no look," she tried lamely. But her brother was having none of it as he gave a quick snort of disbelief. Rather than get into a fight, Ginny just lifted her chin and continued walking on. Luna followed, her curiosity peaked, but remaining silent.

"Ginny, why are you hanging around him all the time?" he asked her. Ginny spun on her heel to look at him again.

"Hanging around him all the time? I do not 'hang around him' all the time. In fact, I don't think I hang about him at all. We've merely had instances with each other where we've had to cross words. I don't think that constitutes as 'hanging around'. When did you become so concerned about who I talk to anyways?" she asked. Recognizing that this was quickly deteriorating into a family squabble, Luna waved a quick good-bye to Ginny and made her way into the Great Hall. Ron sputtered for a second at his sister's question not even noticing the change in company. Ginny crossed her arms and glared at Ron.

"I've always been concerned!" he almost yelled, finally finding the words he wanted. Ginny's face softened as she looked up at her favorite brother. She may have adopted some of Fred and George's attitude and trouble-making ways and tended to be as free-natured as they were, but she loved her temperamental brother just a smidge more for his obvious and somewhat overbearing protectiveness.

"Ron, I know you're looking out for me and I love you for it. And noting your past with Malfoy, I understand it completely. Yet, know that I can take care of myself. Maybe instead of focusing on what's going on in my life, you should focus on yours and how you're making a right mess of it," she told him. Ron's eyes went wide.

"What are you blathering about?" he asked. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Hermione, you dolt!"

"What about her?"

"Gods know you like her… the whole _school _knows you like her and vice versa. For seven sodding years you both have put us all through the torture of having to watch your little drama. If you two would quit being so bloody daft about it all, you could tell each other you're mad for one another!" she said. Ron was silent as he processed his little sister's words.

"Is that why Hermione's cheesed off at me?" he asked. Ginny growled angrily. _Boys!_

"Oh would you use your brain, Ronald? Think about it! Look at what happened at the Yule Ball back in your fourth year. Viktor Krum? Reverse it and then have Luna play Viktor's part! Ring any bloody bells?" she exclaimed. She then took a deep breath and calmed herself. "As much as I would love to go over every minute of your life in order to prove to you how bloody thick you are being I have better things to do. If you don't believe me, go talk to Harry… or better yet, Hermione." With that said, the younger Weasley stormed off. Ron shook his head as he watched her go.

"She's gone off her trolley… absolutely barking mad," he mumbled. But as he thought over Hermione's reaction to inviting Luna to Hogsmeade with them this weekend, Ron could see that his sister just may be on to something…

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Hermione paced the empty Gryffindor common room muttering Muggle and Wizard curses alike. How could a boy _be_ so bloody thick? Harry had skived off ofwhat could possibly be the lastHogsmeade visit of the next few monthsthis weekend, knowing that Hermione was attempting to take things in hand and move along her and Ron's stagnant relationship. If you could call what she and Ron had a 'relationship'.

After the whole Viktor Krum debacle, Hermione had simply stopped trying to date. She'd been extremely pleased to notice that Ron had ceased trying as well. They'd started spending more time together just the two of them. But that was as far as it went. The dim-witted, oblivious, temperamental…

There was a clearing of a throat that stopped her mental tirade. She turned to the door.

"What?" she asked, her scowl only deepening when she saw who it was. Ron gulped at the cross look on her face. He held out a plate of food as an offering.

"Umm, well… I know you said you weren't hungry, but… but when you get to studying, you tend to forget to eat," he noted. Hermione looked at the meal that he'd brought for her and the anger she'd felt drifted away, leaving only the extreme amount of affection she felt for this boy. Ron Weasley may be an insensitive oaf at times, but in between, he could be a brilliantly sweet, insensitive oaf. It was no surprise, really, that she was arse over elbow.

"Do you need any help with your paper?" he asked as he handed her the plate. She took the peace offering with a raised an eyebrow and a smile. Realizing who he was asking that question to, Ron flushed.

"Right. Never mind, then," he said, sitting down on the couch near the fireplace. Hermione sat next to him.

"I'm finished, actually," she said, picking up a crisp he'd included in her meal and eating it.

"Would you like me to teach you how to play chess, then?" he asked. Hermione rolled her eyes with a smile.

"I've sat in on a game of chess with you before, Ronald," she reminded him. Ron just grinned.

"I know. But I do think I should teach you how to _play_," he said teasingly. Hermione let out a mock cry of outrage and Ron put his hands up to block the crisps she'd thrown at him.

"I'll have you know I play chess just fine," she said with her haughtiest look. Ron laughed.

"For such a genius, you'd think you'd trounce me then," he said. He stole a crisp from her plate and popped it into his mouth. She just watched him for a second.

"Fine…" she relented. But it wasn't such a sacrifice for her as she let on. She'd do anything to be the center of his focus for more than just a few short moments.

"But not wizard's chess," she added.

"Hermione," he said on a half-whine. "That takes all the fun out of it…" She just grinned.

"If you want me to learn how to properly play your beloved chess, then you'll have to teach me without all the brutality. Once I learn that, then we'll see who's a chess genius," she said. Ron smirked.

"You're on," he said.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Draco straightened his tie with a smirk as he started his way back to the Slytherin common room. The little 'session' with one of the sixth year girls hadn't gone as far as a shag, but the snogging improved his temper greatly. He was glad he'd decided to take his own advice. A few more meetings like that and the littlest Weasley would be nothing more than an unpleasant little smudge in his memory. Which was precisely what he wanted her to be…

His progress was interrupted by the familiar flurry of his owl's wings. An elegant missive was dropped into Draco's hand as the graceful bird landed on his shoulder. Rather than continue down the dark hallway to the common room, Draco turned and headed back to the privacy of his quarters. The neat, feminine script written on the note told him that it was a letter from his mother. Letters from Narcissa Malfoy were rare and it made him worry as to what would drive her to write her only son an owl.

_Draco,_

_I require your presence here at the Manor. I have spoken to your Head of House and Professor Snape has given you leave for the evening. Do not dawdle. There are things requiring your attention…_

_N. Malfoy_

Draco frowned at the unusual letter. But rather than dwell on it, he collected his cloak and made his way out of his room and towards Professor Snape's office. The dark-haired professor looked up as Draco entered.

"Ah, Draco. I have been expecting you," Snape said, standing from his desk.

"My mother has requested to see me," Draco said. The older man nodded.

"Yes. I have set aside some floo powder for you," Snape said, indicating the jar next to the fireplace. Draco eyed the powder with distaste, but took it in his hand anyway.

"Send me an owl if there are any… issues," Snape said. Draco gave him a stiff nod.

"Malfoy Manor!" he said before tossing the powder. The green flames enveloped him and before he knew it he was standing in the familiar floo of the drawing room at Malfoy Manor. He brushed his sooty cloak off with a scowl. Traveling by floo was one of his least favorite methods of wizard transportation.

"Welcome home, Draco." The voice startled him into standing up straight. Turning around slowly, he spotted his mother sitting broomstick straight on the settee near the window. Lucius, resplendent and intimidating in his black robes, stood directly next to her.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**


	6. Part VI

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Ginny would never admit it to even herself, but her eyes scoured the Great Hall at dinner for Draco. His two goons sat at the table, but without their charge. It was unusual. Even Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini were there. Draco Malfoy rarely went anywhere without one of his entourage.

"What are you looking at?" Harry's voice startled her. Ginny looked at the boy next to her.

"Nothing," she said. His green eyes assessed her face and she knew she was blushing. Harry then turned back to his dinner.

"Malfoy wasn't in Potions," he muttered to her. Ginny knew, for no reason other than her brother was in it, that Potions was the class the Trio had before dinner.

"It's really none of my concern," she said, eyeing the food on her fork. Then she looked over at Harry again. "What do you think happened?" The Boy-Who-Lived shrugged.

"Who knows? Maybe he's got a hangnail," he said, picking at his dinner. Ginny's eyes narrowed as she looked at him.

"Are you alright, Harry?" she asked. Ginny knew that he wasn't, but she wanted to see if he would avoid the question. He shocked her by being honest.

"No, I'm not," he answered. She ran a hand over his shoulder.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked. He looked up at her with a small, grateful smile but he shook his head.

"It's just the usual. Voldemort…" he told her. "Seeing Theodore Jordan in the Forbidden Forest reminded me of Cedric Diggory…" Ginny hated that death seemed to be a recurring theme in Harry's life. She hated that he'd have to face it himself before this was all over.

"Do you think that… he's still out there hanging about?" she asked, hesitating over the hated surname. Harry let out a sigh.

"I've no idea. The fact that he's been there and there hasn't been any sort of warning makes me nervous. The Forbidden Forest may be Hogwarts grounds, but it is by no means impenetrable," he said.

"Do you think there's going to be an attack?" she asked. Ginny didn't want to ask all the questions that ran through her head, but the nervousness she'd had since Theodore was killed seemed to take over her brain.

"It was only Malfoy, from what Dumbledore can tell. At this point, we can't panic. I'm sure, after that incident, Voldemort will think we have got Auror patrols there. We'll be safe for a while," Harry said, rubbing his scar absentmindedly. Ginny watched this with concern.

"What about Dementors?" she asked softly.

"After all the good they did the last time? Dumbledore won't let them float a foot on Hogwarts grounds," he said. Movement at the Slytherin table caused Ginny to look over. But she was disappointed to see Crabbe stand and leave his companions behind. Harry was watching the other table as well.

"If anything, we're going to need to watch out for them," he said. Ginny couldn't help but wonder if that was true…

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Malfoy Manor…_

"Come to welcome your father home after his sojourn as a diplomatic prisoner?" Lucius asked with practiced politeness. _Diplomatic prisoner my arse_… Draco stayed silent for a moment to reign in his suicidal inner thoughts.

"I'm here only because I received an urgent owl from Mother. If I'd know you would be here, I never would have bothered," Draco said with more confidence than he felt. Lucius Malfoy, despite his deteriorating status and dwindling funds within the wizarding world, would always be an imposing figure. Especially to the little boy that still resided somewhere in Draco.

Narcissa stood up, as regal and composed as a queen. She crossed the room to where her only son stood and leaned up to kiss him softly on the cheek.

"I'll bid you goodnight, Draco," she said before leaving. The two men waited until the door clicked closed before they turned to each other with not-quite-identical frowns. The silence was full of tension.

"I've received troubling information in the past few days," Lucius said. Draco arched a brow.

"Oh?" he asked, curious as to what his father would know. The elder Malfoy's eyes pinned his son.

"A Weasley, Draco?" he asked with disgust. There was a slight feeling of panic in Draco's chest at the thought of his father knowing.

"What about them, Father?" he asked. Lucius' smirk was dangerous.

"I know you've been associating with them… one in particular… as of late. I wouldn't have believed the information if I hadn't seen you _save_ one with my own eyes. Imagine my surprise," he said. Draco's shoulders squared at the acknowledgement of the incident in the Forbidden Forest. He would have thought Lucius would avoid admitting that he had almost killed his own son.

"I'm curious, Draco, as to your sudden interest in the Weasleys…" Lucius said. Draco remained silent. "I've been told some entertaining stories concerning your behavior…" Draco continued to say nothing as his eyes stayed locked on his father's. The two men were now the same height… there was no looking up to his father anymore… both literally and figuratively. The backhand came quickly and almost with surprise, but still Draco held motionless. He was seventeen, a young man now. There would be no cowering. The blow to his face didn't hurt nearly as much as it had in the many years before. But then, he'd been trying to please his father and a simple scolding look had crushed his spirit.

"I would speak if I were you, Draco," Lucius hissed. Draco's hand came up to his face, but the Malfoy-perfected expression of disinterest did not crack.

"I have nothing to say, Father," he said. "To you especially…"

"To me especially?" Lucius asked, his eyebrow raising. "I would think it would be 'to me especially' that you would wish to explain yourself." Draco let his hand drop and clasped them behind his back calmly.

"Whatever prattle you've heard is no concern of yours," Draco said simply. Lucius' own hands clasped behind his back, mirroring his son's pose.

"The Dark Lord would not be pleased to hear of your actions of late. He does not care for snide, mouthy young men to be within his ranks," he said. Draco smirked.

"Then I'd say the Dark Lord is fat out of luck, then," he said. Lucius' eyebrows drew together in an angry frown.

"Watch your mouth, boy," he warned. Draco did not move even though he expected another blow.

"You're lingering about, Father. I'm surprised at you. You've just escaped Azkaban, and you hold yourself here to tell me what a disappointment I happen to be. I'd have thought you'd pounded that into me by now, seeing as you've done it for seventeen years," Draco said. The younger Malfoy could almost hear his father's teeth grinding.

"I've lingered to make sure my son has held true to his path," he said, finally.

"_Your_ path, Father. It is your path for me. I am fully aware that you sold my services to the Dark Lord before I was even born," Draco said.

"It would be in your best interest to continue following it, Draco. Everything you are and everything you have is because of Lord Voldemort," Lucius said. Draco let out a sharp laugh.

"Everything I am? Everything I have? What, exactly, do I have, Father? The Malfoy estates? The Malfoy money? The Malfoy status? All of that is either gone or under scrutiny because of you and your _Lord_ Voldemort. If anyone in this room has been a disappointment, I'd venture to say it has been you," he said. The blow he'd expected earlier finally came. This time it drew blood.

"Mind your tongue, boy," Lucius hissed. Draco straightened once more, a finger reaching up and drawing the blood off of his lip.

"I believe, _Father_, that I've minded enough," he said, looking at the red. He turned from Lucius and went to the fireplace.

"I have not given you leave," Lucius growled. Draco picked up the floo powder and gave his father one last, unaffected look.

"Hogwarts," he said. The green flames enveloped him, his father's angry face his parting memory.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Slytherin Common Room…_

He sat, legs crossed lazily, book in hand and seemingly ignoring all of the stares. To anyone observing, Draco looked calm and collected. But his temper, within the Slytherin common room, was legendary in its ability to simmer beneath the icy surface and explode when one least suspected. So, everyone held their breath as they watched the Slytherin Prince page through a book in which he was paying too much attention to actually be reading it. Gregory Goyle swallowed audibly as he sat next to his friend.

Finally, Draco put the book down and re-crossed his legs casually. He sat back and rested his hands on his stomach. His steely gaze was locked on Vincent Crabbe. It was made all the more intimidating by the bruising on his usually perfect face.

"You betrayed me to my father," the blond said quietly. This time, an audible gulp went around the entire common room. Crabbe said nothing, but the fact that he kept rubbing his beefy hands together betrayed his nervousness. The boy's silence confirmed the soft statement. Draco stood up and paced slowly in front of the couch he'd just vacated. He reminded everyone present of a panther stalking his quarry.

"My loyalty is to the Dark Lord," Crabbe stuttered out in sudden explanation. Draco's eyes narrowed for a moment causing the bulky boy to flinch. Instead of lash out as all expected him to do, the blond stopped pacing and stood up straight. Calmly, he put his hands into the pockets of his trousers.

"Your loyalty is to the Dark Lord…" he repeated calmly. This time Crabbe swallowed hard. "Your loyalty is to the Dark Lord, yet you take orders from my father in secret." One hand was removed from its pocket and quickly swiped the contents off the table in front of him, the subsequent crash causing everyone to jump. But still, he remained calm on the outside as he replaced that hand back into the pocket it had vacated.

"Your loyalty should have been to me," Draco growled as he turned to resume staring at Crabbe. Without taking his eyes off the boy, he addressed the silent spectators in the common room. "I would appreciate the audience taking themselves off and finding better things to do than stare..." Those who had been avidly watching the showdown scrambled from their seats and either went to their rooms or left the common room altogether. The only one to stay behind was Goyle, who stood in support next to Draco.

"You've made a grave mistake making an enemy of me, Crabbe," Draco drawled. Crabbe stood and faced the angry blond.

"What are you going to do, Draco?" he asked, fear causing his pudgy face to turn splotchy. Draco looked down his nose at the boy.

"There are ways of dealing with betrayers that would make the Dark Lord himself flinch. But I don't think I'll employ them. No. Your loyalty is to the Dark Lord. In time, you'll get exactly what you deserve," he said. Crabbe rubbed his wrist where the Dark Mark had yet to be branded.

"Draco…" he started. Goyle glared at the boy that had once been his partner in mayhem.

"I'd be legging it, if I were you," he said, clenching his fists to emphasize his seriousness. Crabbe nodded and quickly escaped to his room. Then Goyle turned to look at Draco.

"You're not going to do anything with him?" he asked. Draco shook his head.

"He'll catch it from the rest of Slytherin. He'll not go unpunished. But I meant what I said. He'll get what's coming to him," he said. His temper still sizzled beneath the surface and he'd rather be on his own to calm it. "I'm going for a walk." The larger boy nodded as Draco swept out of the room.

Of all the people to betray him, Draco hadn't expected Vincent Crabbe. But then, the dim-witted were easily led. He'd been expecting someone along the lines of Pansy, or Blaise… or even Goyle. Someone clever enough to have an agenda. He could have even expected trouble from Warrington and his little gang seeing as the boy felt Draco was competition. What was a little backstabbing amongst the snakes?

Draco knew that someone in his inner circle would deceive him at some point. It was the Slytherin nature, after all. But the fact that it was the least intelligent of the bunch had him steaming inside. His stride increased as his agitation rose. He turned into the main hallway and Draco groaned inwardly as he saw the lanky, redheaded form of Ron Weasley walking slowly ahead of him. Might as well hex him now when the pillock wasn't looking. That way Draco could get the inevitable detention without the pain of having to actually duel with the other boy.

Rather than draw attention to himself or spew the expected insults, Draco just quickened his pace and hoped to walk on by without incident. Luck had escaped him.

"Oy, Malfoy…" Ron called. Draco sighed. It never ends… When he turned to look at the other boy, Ron's eyes went wide, whatever brave comment he was going to make evaporating at the blond's glare.

"You bellowed, Weasley?" Draco prompted. He really wasn't in the mood for this.

"You look like a right piece of shite," the redhead said, taking in the bruising. Draco's eyes narrowed.

"Good of you to say so, Weasel. I doubt I would have spotted it without your keen observation," he sneered. With that, Draco turned and began walking away. To his utter horror, Weasely fell into step next to him with a smirk that rivaled Draco's best.

"What did you do? Lip off to the Dark Lord?" Ron asked the blond. Draco kept walking as the redhead continued to taunt. "Did a big, mean Ravenclaw catch you unawares?" The Slytherin continued to ignore Ron. Ginny emerged from around the far corner in time to hear the last insult. Looking closely at the blond boy before he passed by her, she caught the tell-tale coloring of impending bruises. It looked disgustingly out of place on Draco's pale, perfect cheek. Her eyes then went to her brother as he continued to pester his tense rival.

"What are you on about Ron? Leave him be or you'll get in trouble," she said finally. Ron's attention switched to his sister.

"I'm just trying to figure out who bested the Ferret. You know, give 'em an award for service to wizard kind and such," he relayed to her with a grin. Draco spun around to glare at the two Weasleys.

"No one 'bested' me, Weasel. Maybe your sister is just feisty in a broom closet," he said with a smirk. The implication was better than taking House points. Ginny's eyes went wide for a split second before she caught herself. Draco's eyes looked over the female redhead appraisingly. Ron immediately stopped his stalking of the Slytherin and clenched his fists. Ginny rolled her eyes at the predictability of both boys.

Rather than wait for the fallout, Ginny grabbed Ron's arm and turned him in the direction of Gryffindor Tower. It was better to divert the impending temper tantrum than to let it go its own course, with lengthy detentions surely to be in its wake. Ginny couldn't help but catch the amused look on Draco's face out of the corner of her eye and tried to walk her still-too-angry-to-strike-back brother quicker to the red and gold sanctuary.

"What say you, Ginny?" Draco drawled with exaggerated familiarity. "Astronomy Tower? Midnight? The usual?" Ron's face was completely red as he stopped and spun around on the stairs to face the only slightly worse-for-ware Slytherin, who had a shameless leer on his face. Ginny shot the blond boy a healthy glare as she took control of her brother once more. As they came to the Fat Lady, Ginny spared one last glance down the stairwell, her mind all of a sudden bombarded with thoughts of that one kiss.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Two hours later…_

"Draco?" Ginny whispered as she snuck her way into the well-known astronomy tower. She desperately hoped that she hadn't gotten the Slytherin's not-so-very-subtle message wrong earlier. She'd thought about it for the past two hours in great detail as her brother bemoaned his fate at having Malfoy at the same school. Maybe she was just being stupid…

"Hush it, Weasley. Don't want all the world to know we're here, do we?" a low voice answered her.

"I _was_ quiet," she said as she made her way to the dark corner in which he stood. "Besides, you're Head Boy. It's not as if you will take points from yourself."

"You're late," was all he said. Ginny gave him a look.

"I had to listen to Ron rant about what a bloody arse you are for the better part of two hours. _You_ trying going anywhere when he's like that," she said. Draco smirked as he crossed his arms.

"Two hours, you say? The git needs to land himself a girl…" he said. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"He's got himself one if only he'd open his eyes," she muttered. "But then, she hasn't said a word either…"

"Mudbl… er… Granger?" he stumbled at her dark look. She nodded.

"My brother's oblivious to all but food and quidditch. For a smart girl, she can be awfully thick at times," she said, causing Draco to chuckle. The laugh surprised her and since it was so out of character, she took a closer look at him. He stood in the dark, but the moonlight spilled through the parapet that he'd secluded himself near. His pale skin was illuminated where the light hit and it made the dark bruise on his cheek and his swollen lip stand out even more that it would have usually. Without realizing it, Ginny stepped closer to him. He noticed.

"You're going to ask me if I'm alright, Weasley. I'll save you the trouble and tell you that I'm fine," he said, not moving as she stepped ever so closer. Her eyes roamed over his face.

"You are not fine," she said, letting her hand come up and her fingers brush lightly below the bruise. "How did this happen? Why haven't you gone to Madame Pomfrey?" Draco let himself enjoy the lightness of her touch as he watched her concern for him wash over her face. It was the first time anyone had _ever_ been concerned for him.

"Madame Pomfrey would do no good. My father has always had a way of making his 'lessons' last a little longer than usual. A reminder is what it's supposed to be…" he said.

"A reminder," she ground out, angry at the man who had saw fit to put it there. Draco let out a sigh.

"A reminder is what it is, though. A reminder that I've wasted seventeen years of my life trying to please a person who cannot be pleased…" he said bitterly.

"Then stop trying," she told him. Draco's hand rose to lay over hers. He let it linger for a moment or two before he stepped away and let her hand drop.

"Why did you come?" he asked suddenly. Ginny was silent for a moment as she looked at him.

"Why did you ask me to?" she countered. It was Draco's turn to remain silent. He turned his head to look out over the Hogwarts grounds. It gave Ginny the opportunity to study him.

He looked flawless, even after what had to have been a long and trying day. From his impeccably tailored robes and trousers to the tips of his impossibly black dress shoes, he exuded the sense of wizard upper class. Ginny knew that she, herself, looked a fright. She was curious as to why he had sought out _her_ company, of all people.

"I don't know," he finally said. It had taken so long to get an answer from him that Ginny had almost forgotten she'd posed the question. "I don't know why I asked you here, _Weasley_…" He'd spat out her name just like he had before. As if it were dirty.

"Are you really going to start that up again?" she asked, tapping into a well of patience that she knew was fairly close to running out. He turned to look at her again, and rather than wait for a scathing reply she did what she'd been itching to do since she first came up here. She stepped up to him, her body brushing his, and gripped his tie. Before he could protest her lips were on his.

It took a moment for the shock to run through his system. Then, his hands found her waist and pulled her tighter against him as their lips parted and the kiss deepened. Ginny's free hand wound up his chest and around his neck as one of his hands caressed the side of hers. She gave a small shriek that was muffled by their entangled lips as he turned them and lifted her to sit on the ledge and stepped between her knees. One hand fell against the stone behind her to keep her balance as the small part of her brain not yet ravaged by lust realized that the only thing behind her was the cool night air… and the cement waiting floors below.

It was a heady feeling to know the only thing between her and the ground was two hands belonging to a Slytherin. Her hands ventured under his robes and wrapped around his seeker-slim waist.

The pain in his injured lip sent urgent messages to his brain for him to stop what he was doing. But Draco knew he couldn't. Her lips were so soft and her scent was so sweet. The combination was doing things to him that he didn't want to begin to analyze. He'd rather just sink into it and enjoy. The slight pain only heightened his awareness of the situation, how his hands roamed gently over the soft curves of her body and his lips found her bared collarbone without effort.

He wanted to return to her lips, but Ginny didn't let him. Instead, her brown eyes roamed over the marked skin of his cheek and a finger lightly ran over his broken lip. Then, she leaned in and tenderly touched her lips back to his. Another shock went through his system at the pure gentleness of her actions. His hands softened their trails over the skin he'd been able to search out. At his touch, she sighed into his mouth and leaned into him.

A sudden sound caused Ginny to break the kiss and look up at Draco. As she hopped off the ledge, he instinctively pulled her to his side and pulled out his wand.

"Someone's coming," she said, still slightly breathless. Draco frowned in thought. After a moment of combing through his haze-filled mind, he realized who it might be.

"It's Granger. She has rounds tonight," he said. "You'd best be off or I'll be forced to take points from you…"

"Oh bugger the points," Ginny said, causing him to smirk. She leaned down and reached for the cloak she'd dropped in the heat of things. "I've come prepared…" With that she flipped the material over her shoulders and Draco's eyes went wide as her body disappeared.

"An invisibility cloak," he said. Ginny grinned.

"I nicked it from Harry earlier," she told him. Draco's eyes hardened at the mention of Harry Potter, but he refrained from venturing down that particular vein.

"You're not as sweet and well-behaved as you have everyone believing," he noted. Ginny shrugged.

"Oh, I'd say I am, but I've learned a bit here and there from Fred and George," she said as she flipped up the hood and completely disappeared. It was just in time, too, as the door to the tower opened and Hermione came into view.

"Malfoy?" she asked. "What are you doing up here? You're not on rounds."

"Would you believe that I enjoy fresh air? It's just my luck that we don't get much of it in the dungeons," he replied. The Head Girl remained impervious to his sarcastic tone. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the door opening and closing softly indicating that Ginny had made it away okay.

"You haven't been torturing small animals, have you?" Hermione asked, taking a quick look over the side of the building just to make sure. "If you have, I'll have to take points, even if you are Head Boy." Draco smirked.

"For all you Gryffindor do-gooders think I'm evil, don't you think I would have graduated beyond that by now? That would be in the firstie guide," he said, crossing his arms in wait. Hermione gave him a frown. Slowly, she started to search the area. She was by no means stupid or naïve. Draco Malfoy was looking a bit more peaked and mussed than usual, in spite of his casual attitude, and it was no secret that he liked to conduct his affairs in the usual haunts.

"I wouldn't put anything past you," she commented.

"That's the most intelligent thing I've heard you say," he drawled. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Just because you're Head Boy does not mean you get to break the rules. Get back to your rooms," she said before turning with a toss of her hair and heading back down the stairs.

Draco just stood there staring at the closed door. There'd been no 'good-bye' or an 'until next time' or anything remotely sentimental from the littlest Weasley. That was perfectly alright with him. It was how he liked his 'dealings'…

The scent of apples still lingered on his robes. With a sigh he leaned back against the ledge and ran a hand over his face. What the bloody hell was he _doing_?

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**


	7. Part VII

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_The next afternoon…_

What the bloody _hell_ was he doing? One way or another he was going to end up dead. In either situation, it was probably going to be his father who was going to do it. It was what Draco now had to look forward to after refusing his birthright _and_ snogging a Weasley. Neither was going to end well, that he knew with certainty…

Draco had hoped that a brisk walk out by the lake would suppress the urge hunt down Ginny Weasley to get to know her better – in whichever way she chose. But that hope was crushed as he spotted long red hair that told him it _wasn't_ her git of a brother. It was as if the dam had broken. Now that he'd allowed himself to think about her, talk to her, touch her, _kiss_ her… it was like he couldn't stop. And fate, it would seem, didn't seem inclined to let him. He should be ignoring her, taunting her, insulting her… Instead, though, he approached her.

"Haven't you better things to do than dirty up the only pair of robes you own?" he asked without much malice.

Ginny laughed as she turned to look at him. It warmed him in the cool autumn wind. "I take back what I said before. You are _completely_ insufferable…" Draco smiled.

"It wouldn't do for me to be otherwise," he said. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked. Draco gave a half shrug.

"I believe I'm allowed," he said. Ginny gave him a look.

"That wasn't what I meant," she told him.

"Well, I was going to go get my daily laugh in by torturing the first years, but I decided against it," he said. Ginny arched a brow.

"So you decided to come over here to just stand and glower at me?" she asked. Draco looked at the ground and then looked at Ginny again. With a sigh, he lowered his tall frame to the ground.

"These are very expensive robes, Weasley," he commented. Ginny sniffed.

"And I'm sure you've six dozen exactly like them," she said back.

"But these happen to be my favorite," he said, picking a piece of grass off of himself with a look of disdain.

"Then why are you sitting on the ground?" she asked.

"More's the question as to why you are sitting out here on your own in such troubled times, without the righteous glow of the Saintly Trio?" he asked. Then he frowned. "Tossers, the lot of them…"

"Is it your natural disposition to be unpleasant?" she asked with an amused smile. He frowned.

"You didn't answer my question," he said. Ginny turned to look out at the lake again.

"You didn't answer mine," she said, her smile turning to a grin as he grumbled a string of curses.

"You're a right shifty little bint when you want to be," he muttered. Ginny looked at him with an arched brow. He just returned the look while leaning back onto his elbows and stretching out his long legs.

"Well… I was in the company of a Slytherin my entire first year. I had to have learned something from him. And now… I seem to be keeping the company of another," she said. Draco shook his head.

"Godric Gryffindor must be tossing in his grave," he said. Ginny poked his shoulder with a chuckle.

"So must Salazar Slytherin," she noted.

"What was that about keeping company with a Slytherin? I never noticed anyone in particular," he said. She gave him a disbelieving frown.

"You're quite funny, Draco. You know very well what Slytherin," she commented. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the lake in thought.

"It was no one I knew," he said. Ginny snorted.

"Right, and I'm the bloody Minister of Magic," she chuckled. Then she turned to look at him. "It was your father that devised it all…"

"Well that explains it, then. My father tells me bugger all," he grumbled. He sat up from his lounging position with a frown. "I'd overheard him tell Mother that there was someone he was working through at Hogwarts. The only thing that happened to stand out that year was the Chamb…" Wide gray eyes darted to her as puzzle pieces connected. Ginny lips curved up into a ghost of a smile, but she didn't look at him.

"Yes, it was me," she said.

"What happened?" he asked. Ginny shrugged, pretty sure that no harm was going to come in telling him her grievance.

"Your father gave me a diary that first day in Flourish and Blotts. The diary was possessed by Tom Riddle, a Slytherin many years ago. He was the Heir of Slytherin. Being the naïve first year I had been, it was simple for him to take over my mind and use me to open the Chamber of Secrets," she said. Ginny wrapped her arms around her knees and hugged her legs close to her. She waited for the denials and the accusations from the boy sitting next to her. No matter how he felt about Lucius Malfoy, the man was still Draco's father.

"Well…" he said, letting out a troubled breath. "I've had the interesting pleasure of learning all about possession and the like. You're lucky you came out with all your wits… or thereabouts…" Ginny smiled as she finally looked at him.

"I expected worse from you…" she said. One of his dark eyebrows rose.

"Tantrums and insults?" he asked. "You forget I am fully aware of what my father is capable of." Ginny's eyes darkened at the reminder. Her hand quickly took his.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "It's six years of habit to expect the worst from you." Draco smirked.

"Then we're even, I suppose, since it's been six years of habit that I thought you to be the sweet, innocent Princess of Potterland," he said. Ginny let go a cry of mock outrage as she swatted his arm.

"I'll have you know that I have dated both Michael Corner and Dean Thomas since that disastrous crush on Harry," she said. Draco smirked, knowing that her crush hadn't been as 'disastrous' as she thought, and he resumed his lounging position.

"Bit of a disappointment, was it, to find Potter snogging his own reflection?" he asked. Ginny bit back a chuckle as she hit his arm again.

"Leave Harry alone," she said. "And if anyone's been snogging their own reflection, it's more likely to have been you." Draco reached out and took a piece of her flame colored hair between his fingers. He studied it for a moment before he looked up at her.

"Strange… you don't look like me in the slightest," he said. It shut Ginny up and caused her cheeks – and the Weasley tips of her ears – to go slightly pink. He chuckled as he dropped the piece of hair and gave her a self-satisfied smirk.

It took a moment, but Draco sobered when he realized just how pleasant a time he was having. This would not do at all. He stood up slowly, not wanting to draw attention to his sudden distress.

"I'd better get back. The more I sit here, the better chance I'll have to endure the presence of one of your… friends," he said. Ginny followed suit.

"They're not so bad," she said merely out of habit and caused him to chuckle.

"Everything Slytherin in me wants to hex you for saying that," he said. Ginny gave him a wry look.

"Thank you for your restraint," she said. He just smirked once more. As he made to walk away, she reached out and touched his arm. The autocratic mask hadn't had time to form and his gray eyes turned to roam her face. Ginny stepped close to him and her other hand gripped the front of his robes and turned him to completely face her.

"I don't know what this is, Draco, but I can't seem to tell myself to stop," she said softly, putting to words his earlier musings. Although his eyes were still wanting, he pushed her away to arms length.

"This is too dangerous. For both of us. My father used you once; he will not hesitate to use you again. And he certainly wouldn't hesitate to make my life a living Hell. Especially now," he said. She shrugged off the hands that rested on her upper arms.

"Strange how when I'm kissing you, your father never seems to be an issue. This isn't about him, Draco. None of it is," she said. Ginny was standing closer to him now, close enough that he could feel the heat radiating off her body. He reached a hand up and gently ran it over her cheek. Her dark eyes fluttered closed and he couldn't resist any more. Leaning down, he kissed her.

After a moment he stepped back, and the look on her face did things to him that he'd rather not think about. But as much as he was a master of denial, physiology was another matter entirely. If he didn't walk away now he'd probably drag her off to a dark corner somewhere.

"Bye," she said softly, sensing his urgency to disappear. Before his mind could tell him to bugger off, Draco leaned down and gave her one more, soft kiss. Then, he turned and all but sprinted back to the castle.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Malfoy Manor…_

"Your son has become something of a disappointment, if I've been told correctly," a strong, powerful voice said. Lucius Malfoy kept his head down as he knelt, but knew that his master was just as strong and powerful as his voice.

"May I ask what you have heard, my Lord?" he asked. There was silence.

"Stand up, Lucius," the command came. Lucius did as he was bid. The Dark Lord approached his faithful servant. "I am fully aware that the Malfoy line tends to be loyal to our cause and oftentimes, very strong willed. It would seem as if you received the loyalty, and your son, the strong will." Lucius bowed his head once more.

"I am sorry, my Lord," he said. When he looked up, he could see a smirk on Voldemort's twisted and snake-like face.

"Your son's failings do not reflect upon you, Lucius," he said. The Dark Lord's voice was almost pleasant.

"Thank you, my Lord," Lucius said. Red eyes met the elder Malfoy's cold gray.

"You are my favored Death Eater, Lucius. You are in command of my army. I expect you to fulfill my orders without hesitation," Voldemort said. Lucius bowed his head.

"Of course," he said. Voldemort looked pleased.

"Good," he said. "Kill your son…" Lucius did not flinch at the order. Instead of answer, he gave the Dark Lord a tight nod. With a nod in return and a look of almost sadistic glee, Voldemort swept out of the study and back into the drawing room where the other Death Eaters had gathered.

Lucius still stood where he'd been the entire conversation. Kill Draco… it had been an order and it was expected to be done. His lips tightened at the thought of his useless, treacherous son. No… Lucius wouldn't kill him just yet. He would not think that the last seventeen years had been a complete waste. His son would be a Death Eater yet and the Dark Lord would be pleased beyond reward. And Lucius had a feeling he knew just what to do to change Draco's mind…

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Hogwarts…_

"I'm worried about Harry," Hermione said to Ron as the two sat in the common room. The redhead looked up from the book he was attempting to read.

"What are you on about?" he asked.

"Well… he's been to see Dumbledore a lot lately. And his school work is slipping," she said. Ron let out a snort.

"Only you would find lack of enthusiasm for school work as a dire situation," he teased. Hermione let out a huff.

"Yes, well Harry's work has lacked in the past, but it has always been better than yours. I read through his latest Muggle Studies paper – his best subject, mind you – and he could have rivaled you in it being the worst paper in Hogwarts history," she said. Ron sat up straight.

"Hang on… Harry's doing worse than _me_?" he asked. Hermione nodded, a solemn look on her face. "There's trouble then… But why hasn't he told us?"

"Do you think it has to do with the Order?" Hermione asked. Ron shrugged.

"Bugger if I know…" he said. "But it wouldn't be a surprise."

"If it _is_ the Order, why wouldn't he tell us?" she asked. "It's not as if we're not a part of it."

"It could be have to do with Voldemort," Ron suggested. "If that's the case, it's not like we'd be much help." Hermione fell silent. The two looked up as the common room door opened.

"Hey Ginny," Ron called to his sister. She gave them a half-hearted wave as she made her way towards the dorm stairs.

"Hello Ron… Hermione… Harry…" she said, a small smile on her face. Ron and Hermione looked at each other as the girl disappeared.

"Well that was odd," Hermione said. Ron nodded.

"I haven't seen her that barmy since… well, her crush on Harry," he said. Then his eyes went wide. "You don't suppose…"

"Well, Harry has been off on his own quite a bit. Maybe they've…" she started, but Ron made a face.

"Don't finish that sentence. As much as I think Harry would be good for Ginny, I certainly don't want to think about them bloody snogging… I don't even want to think of them holding hands… or smiling all googly-eyed at each other. Blimey…" he said. Hermione chuckled.

"Ginny's sixteen, Ronald. I don't think she'd appreciate the fact that you've thought any different," she said. Ron just lifted his chin stubbornly.

"She's still my little sister," he said. Hermione shook her head.

"You're hopeless," she commented.

"When Harry comes back, I'll have to get his intentions. Bill and Charlie would have my head if I didn't," he said.

"What about Percy, Fred and George?" she asked with a frown. Ron snorted again.

"Percy's still a bloody tosser, and Fred and George love Harry. They'd more likely pat him on the back than read him the riot act," Ron said. Hermione smiled.

"You love Harry too. He _is_ your best friend," she reminded him. Ron picked his book back up.

"Oh I know. But I'm the only male Weasley here. It's my duty."

"Do you have to be so dramatic, Ronald?" she asked. Her question went unanswered as the common room door opened once more. In walked the subject of their conversation.

"Hello, Harry," Hermione greeted. Rather than say anything, Ron stood up and crossed the room to where his friend stood. The redhead towered over the shorter Harry with narrowed eyes.

"What's going on with you and my sister?" the redhead asked suddenly, catching Harry off guard.

"Wh.. what?" he stuttered. Ron crossed his arms and looked down at his best friend.

"I want to know what is going on with you and my sister," he demanded. Harry's jaw dropped open to say something but nothing came out. If anything, he'd expected from his friends the demand to know what he'd been doing with Dumbledore or the Order's plans or even Voldemort. Maybe even a school report from Hermione. But certainly not this inquisition. In fact, he'd prefer a grilling on Voldemort or even Hermione's scolding.

"Nothing…" Harry said weakly. There was nothing more he could say. Hermione decided to take pity on him.

"If you say so, we believe you. Don't we Ron?" she asked, moving to lay a hand on the redhead's shoulder. Ron relaxed slightly.

"Well, why the bloody hell isn't there anything going on with you and my sister?" he asked in an about-face. Again, Harry's jaw dropped open. Hermione's as well. "Do you find something wrong with her? Because if you do, I'll beat you to a bloody pulp…" Harry held up his hands.

"Uh… there's nothing going on with me and Ginny. There isn't because… well… _because_. And no, there's nothing wrong with her. She's a very beau… uh… pretty, intelligent girl…" he said. Hermione looked to Ron.

"He answered your questions, Ronald. You can stop giving him dirty looks," she said. Ron relaxed his stance and sat down in his chair again, but he was apparently not completely satisfied as to the results of his questioning.

"Well, then…" he muttered before looking at Harry again. "Hiya, Harry…"

"Hello… Ron," Harry answered the greeting warily, not sure what his best friend's mood was. Hermione led Harry to the couch and sat next to him.

"On to more important questions. What is going on with you, Harry?" she asked. Harry swallowed hard at the question. Dumbledore had advised him to stay quiet about what was happening, but things were moving along quickly and Harry knew that his friends would need to know.

"The Order is planning an offensive on Voldemort," he said. Hermione gasped and Ron sat up straight, eyes wide. There was silence as they absorbed the severity of Harry's words. Finally, Ron looked to Hermione.

"I expected to have to drag it out of him," he said. Hermione didn't say anything but looked worriedly between her two friends.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**


	8. Part VIII

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_The next morning…_

The Trio ambled down the path towards the greenhouse, grumbling the entire way.

"I can't believe he gave us a detention for something that was bloody well beyond our control!" Ron complained. Hermione sighed.

"When has he ever been reasonable to Gryffindors?" she asked.

"He'd blame the sodding war on us if he could," Harry grumbled. They opened the door to find Ginny, as well as a few other students, snipping leaves off of various plants. Ginny looked over at them with a smile.

"What are you doing here?" her brother asked her as they approached. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I swear, Ron, you're getting to be as nosy as an old woman," she said. Ron's jaw dropped open as he tried to think of a comeback.

"Am not!" was all he could muster. Harry snickered.

"She does have a point. You're like a dog with a bone sometimes when you want to know something. Need I remind you of our last conversation?" he asked. Ginny frowned in confusion.

"What last conversation?" she asked.

"Never you mind," Ron grumbled, causing Hermione and Harry to laugh again. Ginny just rolled her eyes.

"So inquiring minds are appeased, I happen to have a free class. I'd agreed the help Professor Sprout prune the mandrakes for extra credit," she said.

"You're getting to be like Hermione," Ron muttered.

Ginny grinned as she cut the leaves off of one of the plants.

"Not quite. The extra credit is because I did so poorly on the last paper. Herbology is _not_ my subject," she said. Hermione clucked her tongue, causing Ginny shake her head. "Anyway… why are _you_ three here?" Ron sighed as he set his bag down.

"Detention…" he said.

"Professor Snape?" his sister asked.

"Who else?" Harry asked, setting his bag down as well. "Thank god he's got classes the rest of the day, or we'd be stuck with him rather than here…" The door to the greenhouse opened, cutting off any other remarks. The pleasant face of the herbology teacher greeted them.

"Hello!" she said happily. "So sorry to hear most of you've grabbed yourselves a detention. But, I could use a spot of your help today. I've re-planting to do, and an awful lot of pruning. The herbology classes are deep into their projects and don't have time for the small details. So, the tasks fall to you lot…" There were a few groans among the students, but they set to work. Good-natured chattering filled the room as everyone went about their tasks. It continued on for half an hour before Professor Sprout interrupted with a heavy clearing of her throat.

"Now, behave yourselves while I go get some more soil," the professor ordered with a warning glare.

"Yes, Professor Sprout," the group chorused. A louder, more raucous chatter overtook the room as the only authority figure disappeared.

"This has got to be the most boring thing in the world," Ron grumbled to his friends as he turned back to the plant he was attending.

"Your complaining isn't going to make anything better, Ron," Hermione said.

"Here, here," Ginny added, causing her brother to glare at her. She just grinned.

"Traitor…" he muttered, throwing some dirt at her. Ginny threw a clump of dirt back and held her tongue. She was going to mention something to the nature of Hermione being close enough to family if only he'd remove his head from his arse. But she figured that would get a whole pot of dirt over her head, so she held back. Instead, she included Harry and Hermione on the Weasley dirt war and the four of them were getting well and dirty and no work accomplished when a hushed silence fell over the room. Wondering what had happened, the four stilled. Ron stood up straight and wiped the dirt off of his face. His grin immediately fell off his face.

"Harry…" he muttered, his eyes darting behind his best friend. Hermione was frozen in place, eyes wide and her hand gripping Ron's sleeve. Ginny gasped. When Harry turned he found himself staring at a wand.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Draco stood outside in the fresh air and sucked dangerously on the acrid smoke the cigarette in his hand allowed him. He'd have to remember to graciously thank Blaise Zabini for starting him on that awful habit. But, it seemed, that it wasn't the only habit he'd picked up as of late. With a deep breath, he flicked ashes to the ground and his eyes drifted back to the greenhouse.

He figured this watchful possessiveness over a certain Weasley was to be expected. He was a Malfoy, after all. To be possessive was born, bred and nurtured within every generation of Malfoy offspring. His father was particularly brutal about it. Lucius Malfoy may have loved Narcissa Black at one point in his life, but years upon years of ambition, greed, arrogance and typical Malfoy fodder had turned that love into something that could not even be recognized as a tender emotion. It was always about control… And it was something Draco wished to let alone altogether. He wanted no part of Malfoy tradition.

A clearing of a throat startled him from his thoughts. Draco turned to see his Head of House scowling at him. It wasn't a typical, 'disappointed' scowl. This one was of concern. And the fact that Snape had yet to berate him for smoking on school grounds told Draco something grave was in the works.

"What's wrong?" he asked with a scowl of his own.

"Follow me, Draco," Snape said. The blond frowned as he flicked the cigarette to the ground.

"What is going on?" he asked, following his Head of House into the castle. The Potions professor was moving so quickly that even Draco's long stride had trouble keeping up. There was silence as the Potions professor debated whether to lie to a boy he considered a son of sorts.

"Your father is on Hogwarts grounds," he said finally. They turned a few more corners and Draco recognized the way.

"You are taking me to Dumbledore's office," he said. Snape gave a terse nod.

"It is the one place that is truly safe from all who are uninvited," he said. They stopped in front of the statue and Snape muttered the password. He indicated for Draco to ascend the staircase. When it started closing behind him, the blond looked at his professor with a frown.

"Where are you off to?" he asked.

"To take care of it, Mr. Malfoy…" Snape said before disappearing. Draco shifted on his feet as the staircase continued in its path to the Headmaster's office.

"Bloody hell…" he muttered. His father was on Hogwarts grounds. It was only a matter of time, really, before the rope was firmly around his neck.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_The Greenhouse…_

"Well, well, well. Underachieving again, Mr. Potter? And it's no surprise that you are here with him, Weasley. You as well, you filthy little Mudblood…" the blond man sneered. It was no wonder where the younger Malfoy had inherited his hateful diatribe of the past.

"Now," he continued, wand still trained on the Boy-Who-Lived. "Where have you spirited my son off to?" Ron frowned.

"What the bloody hell are you on about?" he asked without thinking. Hermione elbowed him, shutting him up. The few other students that were there stared, transfixed, at the confrontation.

"Draco is nowhere to be found. What have you done with my son, Mr. Potter?" Lucius hissed, wand directly in front of the teenager's nose.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Harry said, the malice he felt apparent in his glare. The elder Malfoy's grip tightened on his wand.

"I have no qualms about torturing you before you die," he said. The door to the greenhouse was opened and a stout figure entered.

"Now see here…" Professor Sprout started. A startled, joint gasp went through the small gathering of students as an 'Avada Kedavra' was sent through the air. The sweet, friendly herbology professor fell to the ground. Professors McGonagall and Snape arrived just in time, wands drawn, to see their peer die. They nodded for the students nearest to the door to leave. The scramble out the door was quick and the only students left were Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny.

"Put down your wand, Mr. Malfoy. Draco is where he should be," Snape growled. "I expected better of an arrogant aristocrat. But I guess it only goes to show that being a Death Eater dispels all intelligence…"

"You would know about all of that, wouldn't you?" the drawl came. "If it were up to me, you would be dead. Why the Dark Lord trusts you among his favored is beyond me." Snape gave a shake of his head.

"Is that any way to speak to a fellow Slytherin?" he asked. Lucius' eyes smoldered.

"You are a disgrace to our House. And I will ask only one more time… what have you done with my son?" he growled. Without the slightest warning, his hand shot out as swift as a snake and grasped Ginny by her hair as she attempted to move closer to her brother.

"Tell me where Draco is, or…" he said while pulling Ginny closer to him. "… you will not recognize this… _pretty_ little girl when I am through with her…" Ron let out a helpless whimper at the sight of Lucius Malfoy's wand threateningly caressing his little sister's cheek. But any rash move he would have made was held back by Hermione.

Ginny, for her part, was not panicking nearly as much as she thought she would. Instead, she closed her eyes.

"Draco is safe and no longer your concern. And I would suggest, Lucius, for your well being that you leave Hogwarts and never come back," a voice said. Ginny's eyes snapped open.

"Dumbledore," Ron whispered in relief. But that relief was short lived when the arm around Ginny's throat tightened and she let out a small cry. The Headmaster stepped forward and used his body to shield the three other students.

"You will gain nothing by hurting her, Lucius," Dumbledore said, fury barely banked in his usually cheerful blue eyes. Lucius smirked, reminding everyone of his son. He then leaned down slightly, his breath tickling Ginny's ear.

"I could say the killing curse right now and there would be nothing they could do," he said just to her. Ginny's chin lifted.

"Do what you must, coward," she said without fear. Lucius 'tsk-tsked' in her ear as Ron let out a strangled 'Ginny', urging her to be quiet.

"All that Gryffindor bravery. It will get you killed some day," he said.

"I'll wager it's not today, then," she said. Suddenly she was shoved to the ground and when she looked up there was something in Lucius Malfoy's eyes as he looked at her. It was a mix of admiration, curiosity and unadulterated loathing. Then, he was gone.

"He apparated… he's not supposed to apparate on school grounds," Ron mumbled stupidly, shock and relief causing his brain to slow. Hermione rushed to Ginny's side as the redheaded girl gently rubbed the area of her neck where the wand had been pointed. Her hand was shaking as she looked to the very dead Pomona Sprout.

"He's a Death Eater, Ron. I don't think he cares about what he should or should not do. Nor does he care what he can or cannot do," Ginny said softly, letting Hermione help her to her feet.

"Are you alright, Miss Weasley?" Professor Dumbledore asked. She looked up into his kind face with a small, shaky smile.

"I will be," she said. He smiled back at her.

"You continually surprise me with your strength, Miss Weasley," he said, reaching out to pat her hand. "You'd best go see Madame Pomfrey, just to make sure you are in one piece." Ginny opened her mouth to argue, but Ron and Harry each took a hold of her arm and began leading her out of the greenhouse. Hermione picked up Ginny's forgotten bag and followed the other three.

Snape looked to Dumbledore and McGonagall when they were alone.

"It would seem as if Malfoy the elder is bringing a different sort of fight to us," he said. Dumbledore nodded.

"It is bordering on desperation, Severus. Have there been any rumblings within the Death Eater ranks? Any orders from Voldemort that would make Malfoy drive to such lengths?" he asked. Snape shook his head.

"I have yet to hear anything on that end. I have heard from of my students that Draco has been acting oddly as of late. Zabini himself was concerned that Draco has incurred Lucius' wrath," he said. Dumbledore looked to think for a moment.

"It will be difficult to have to worry about both Voldemort and Lucius finding their way onto school grounds," he said.

"We will not have to worry about Lord Voldemort on his own. Lucius had help," Snape informed the other two.

"Help?" McGonagall asked. The potions professor nodded.

"Yes. There were wards removed. I am not sure as of yet who accomplished the task, but I am fairly certain that it is a student within my house," he said.

"Betrayers in our midst," the Headmaster commented with an obscure air. Professor McGongall had a distasteful look on her face.

"I can't believe it," she said. Dumbledore just smiled.

"Ah Minerva… history has attested that a betrayer is to be expected. And more than likely, that person has fallen from the circle. Which circle or circles, we have yet to ascertain," he said somewhat cryptically. McGonagall sucked in a shocked breath.

"Albus… you can't be saying… you don't think that…" the transfiguration professor sputtered. Dumbledore held up his hand.

"I am not saying anything, Minerva. But it is important that we stay vigilant. Our plans must continue as they are, but we must not let danger slip in unawares," he said. The headmaster looked between his two trusted peers. They both nodded.

"I'll see to Pomona," McGonagall said as she stood straighter, a tear forming in the corner of her eye at the thought of her friend.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Death Eater stronghold..._

Narcissa watched as small busts shattered against the wall. Lamps had been flung off of tables in a helpless rage. Vases had been obliterated into small shards of glass. And through it all, Narcissa sat calmly as she watched her husband wreak havoc over their small living area. Then, as sudden as the tantrum had begun, it stopped.

"He will not be hidden from me," Lucius said in a frighteningly calm voice. He reached up and straightened his long hair back into the flawless picture that was expected of him. "If Dumbledore thinks he can shelter away my son... MY son... then he is sorely mistaken. They may think they have beaten me, but they will soon find out differently," he said. Narcissa clasped her hands over her lap.

"Of course, my darling," she said in support. For all that was said, Narcissa loved her husband. It was all she knew. She watched in her usual silence as Lucius stalked the length of the room. He was a dangerous and powerful man. Nothing bespoke of it better than that very moment

"If I cannot get to my son, he will come to me," Lucius said. His wife shifted slightly in her seat, curiosity and amusement warming her normally icy gaze only slightly.

"How, my love?" she asked. Lucius smirked.

"I know where his loyalties lie," was all he said before leaning down and giving his wife a pleased kiss.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Draco was stalking the Headmaster's office just as his father was doing elsewhere. He looked up as the door opened and Dumbledore entered, Snape following behind.

"What has happened?" the blond asked, his eyes eager for information. Dumbledore let out a beleaguered sigh as he made his way further into his domain.

"I am afraid, my son, that your father has killed our dear Professor Sprout," the Headmaster said. Draco swallowed heavily.

"Have the Aurors captured him then?" he asked. Snape and Dumbledore shared a quick look.

"I'm afraid not, Draco," Dumbledore answered. Draco straightened.

"He got away?" he asked, hoping beyond hope that it was the other option.

"Yes, he did," Snape said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"How?" the blond asked. Dumbledore sat down at his desk.

"By hiding behind Miss Ginny Weasley," he answered. If Draco had sucked in air any quicker, he probably would have choked. Snape watched the reaction with a knowing look. His suspicions were now confirmed.

"Was she harmed?" Draco asked with as much indifference as he could muster. Dumbledore smiled.

"No more than a few bruises. Miss Weasley is every inch a Gryffindor," he said, letting out a chuckle as the two Slytherins huffed predictably in response.

The raw fury at his father that bubbled beneath Draco's surface was balanced by the concern he felt towards Ginny.

"Is it safe to return to my common room?" he asked, knowing full well that there was a stop he needed to make before that. Dumbledore nodded.

"Yes, but please be wary. This are dangerous times, Draco, and loyalties are about to be divided," he said. The blond nodded before he exited the eccentric man's office. He was about to turn towards the Gryffindor hallways when a hand caught his arm. In spite of the man looking down his pointed nose at him, Draco knew that the older man was concerned.

"Be careful about how you go about things, Draco. Your weaknesses, should they become known, can be used against you," the professor warned. Draco's eyes slid down the hallway for a second, but then returned to look at Snape.

"I'm aware of that, Professor," he said. Snape released his arm with a nod.

"Good. Now… don't do anything overly stupid," he growled before turning and stalking down towards the dungeons, robes gliding behind him. Draco let out a breath and closed his eyes. It would be better of him to just find his way down to the Great Hall.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**


	9. Part IX

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Lucius smiled as the Mark on his arm burned. It was only a matter of time now. Things would start to come together. The Dark Lord would be pleased. The steps he, Lucius, had taken and was about to take was to ensure victory.

With a smile, he sat behind the desk and sipped at the sub-par cognac his fellow Death Eaters had acquired for him.

The Mark continued to make its presence known. Lucius relished the pain. There were others who could barely stomach the searing pain. But to Lucius, it was the sense of importance and purpose. But tonight, it was the sense of certain triumph.

He sipped the amber liquid once more, imagining it to be the best of the best, and waited for the call to be heard.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

The Great Hall helped him not one bit. It was dinner time and the littlest Weasley was no where to be seen. It did not set his mind at ease. Saint Potter and his two extra appendages were there, as were all the appropriate Gryffindors. Why hadn't she come to dinner? Was it really worse than Dumbledore had said? Had his father done something to her?

Draco put down his fork. He was no longer hungry since his stomach threatened to abandon his body.

"What's wrong, Draco?" Pansy's refined drawl interrupted his thoughts. He turned a cold look in her direction. She was not fazed.

"Nothing that you need to concern yourself with," he said. Pansy gave him an arch look but turned back to her dinner. Draco knew he would have to watch her in the coming weeks. It was close to her eighteenth birthday. The Dark Lord would call her…

"You don't look well, mate," Blaise leaned over and informed him. Goyle leaned closer as well.

"Maybe you should go see Madame Pomfrey," he said. Draco looked at the two boys that he semi-trusted. He hoped that trust was not misplaced like it had been with Vincent Crabbe… who now sat with Warrington and his crew at the opposite end of the table.

"That's actually a very good idea," he said. Goyle smiled at the unaccustomed praise. Draco stood and nodded a farewell to his fellow Slytherins. Maybe Ginny would be in the infirmary… It would be a reasonable explanation for her absence.

He mentally berated himself as he stalked off towards the medical wing. It was one thing to 'accidentally' come across heated situations with the littlest Weasley. But to willfully search her out as he was doing now? It was completely daft… if not just a little _too_ dangerous at this point. Especially with his father looking for him.

But, he couldn't help it. He had to make sure she was alright.

Draco pushed the infirmary door open just slightly to make sure the Heroes of Hogwarts were no where around. Satisfied that the room was empty, he pushed the door all the way open and made his way down the room to where the only patient sat, engrossed in a textbook. Draco stopped in his tracks when Madame Pomfrey came out of the supply closet, arms full of linens. Shifting the weight, the nurse put a hand to her chest since the sudden appearance of another student startled her.

"Oh goodness. Mr. Malfoy… are you alright? Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked. The blond shook his head.

"Actually, no, Madame Pomfrey. I'm here to see someone," he said. Madame Pomfrey couldn't help but look a little bit shocked at the blond boy standing in font of her. The only student in the medical wing was Ginny Weasley. A Slytherin to see a Gryffindor? _This_ Slytherin to see _that_ particular Gryffindor? She didn't say anything at this interesting turn of events, but hustled off to her office, offering a friendly smile to Draco as she passed.

"Don't be overly long," she said. Draco just nodded once and continued down to the middle of the spacious room.

"You Gryffindors do like to keep this place in business. Think of all the Slytherins toiling away in the dungeons to make potions to use on you scrappy lot," he said with a shake of his head. Ginny didn't even flinch from her reading.

"Actually," she said, turning the page of the book, "Harry has been the only other Gryffindor in here this year."

Ginny finally looked up at him.

"Shouldn't you be at dinner?" she asked with a frown. Draco just gave a shrug of one of his shoulders.

"Did he hurt you?" he asked without preamble, sitting on the bed next to her. Ginny smiled at him and cautiously took his hand.

"Nothing more than a shove," she said. Then her eyes turned to look at the door with an annoyed look. "But they're treating it like I'd half-died or something…" Draco looked down at their joined hands and tried not to think how here words were probably closer to the truth than either of them would like to admit.

"Yes, well… I'd heard about Professor Sprout. They're probably overcompensating for that," he said. Ginny sighed.

"Probably. Thank Merlin I get out of here in a little bit. I'm so tired of being thought of as little, weak and impressionable," she said. "I'm a bloody sixth-year… not some ickle firstie." Draco didn't say anything, but dropped her hand, stood and started to pace rather furiously. Ginny just watched him for a few moments. Usually was so calm, collected and… arrogant. But now, he looked young. He looked unsettled.

"Are you alright?" she asked. His gray eyes turned to her.

"You know, that is the second time you have asked me that," he commented as he sat down on the edge of the bed again.

"So?" she asked. "Does it make my concern any less valid?" She caught a miniscule twitch at the corner of his eye. For some reason, it made Ginny smile.

"I don't need your concern. I don't need anyone's concern," he growled, making Ginny's smile turn into a frown.

"If that's the way you want it then what, precisely, _do_ you want from me?" she asked crossly. There were three possible avenues that the Slytherin could take at this point and Ginny wasn't exactly sure which one she wanted him to take.

Rather than say anything, Draco just took her face in his hands and kissed her. Her eyes went wide in shock for a moment before she leaned into the kiss and took an active part in whatever he was trying to demonstrate to her. This was certainly not one of the avenues she had thought of, but it was better than two of the other three and she wasn't going to argue.

Somewhere in the peripheral of her mind, Ginny knew that it wasn't smart to kiss this particular boy in someplace that was so public, especially with a nosy Madame Pomfrey only a mere doorway away. But she didn't care and carefully scooted closer to him, the textbook Hermione had brought her falling neglected off her lap.

There was a tiny gasp that caused the two to part. Rather than look for the source, stormy gray and brown eyes stayed locked on each other for a moment. Then, Ginny turned to see a shocked Hermione standing in the doorway. It took a moment for the older girl to get over her surprise, but instantly looked over her shoulder after she'd caught her bearings.

"Hermione," Ginny rasped. Any control over her voice had been lost. When Ginny looked back to Draco, she was surprised to not see him sneering or whatever typical facial expression a moment like this usually called for in the Malfoy Book of the Unpleasant. He looked more annoyed than anything as he finally stood up and gave Hermione an acknowledging nod.

"Harry and Ron are on their way up," she commented softly, but any warning she wanted to give was for naught as the two boys made their way into the room.

"Malfoy!" Ron growled as he stopped in his tracks. There was a tense silence as the older Weasley looked between the calm Draco and his slightly troubled-looking sister.

"Come to check on Dear Old Dad's handiwork, have you?" Ron's voice broke the silence. Both Ginny and Draco could hear the sneer in his voice. The Slytherin just turned an arrogant chin to the Trio.

"Must you stick your nose in everyone's dealings, Weasel?" he asked haughtily. Draco couldn't help but be amused when Granger stuck her elbow in the tall, ginger-haired idiot's side and muttered a harsh "See?" to him. Ron muttered to the girl that it wasn't the proper time for her ribbing and glared back at Draco.

"Why are you here?" he asked. Any reply was cut off as the red-headed girl let out a half-huff, half-moan of anger. Ginny stood from her bed and mirrored the familiar scolding position the Weasley matriarch favored when addressing her children – hands on hips and a glare on a usually pleasant face.

"He's here because he wasn't feeling well, Ronald," she said simply. Ron rolled his eyes, but his eyes went back to warily appraise his blond rival.

"I'd say it's a permanent case. We'll just hope it's terminal," he said. Draco stepped away from Ginny's bed and up to her brother. He was nearly as tall as the red-haired behemoth.

"Not nearly as terminal as your never-ending poverty," he sneered. Ginny scoffed as she marched over to the two boys.

"Same old song and dance. Would you two shut it," she said. Then she looked to Harry and Hermione. "Is dinner done then?" The two nodded.

"Sorry we didn't bring you anything," Hermione said as she looked between Ginny and the boys. Ron and Draco were close to coming to blows, and despite all of Harry's outward calm, he too was close to snapping as he looked between his best friend and the blond. Ginny waved off Hermione's comment.

"That's fine, 'Mione. I'm about to head back to the Tower anyway. I'll have a house elf bring me leftovers," she said. The comment snapped Draco from the staring contest with the Weasel. He turned and took Ginny's arm, stopping her from leaving the medical wing without dealing with him.

"Are you sure that Madame Pomfrey has looked you over completely?" he asked. The Trio's eyes bugged at the unconscious concern in Draco's voice. But Ron quickly snapped out of it and snatched the pale hand from his sister's arm.

"Oy, don't you dare grab Ginny like that. Just because your father did a number on her doesn't give you the right to stick your pointy nose into our business," he growled. Draco's eyebrow went up.

"Just because you're a bleeding idiot doesn't give you the right to stick your ugly mug into my business," he countered. Harry frowned.

"How is Ginny your business?" he asked. Draco chuckled inwardly at the tinge of jealousy he heard in the other boy's voice. Bet Potter didn't even recognize it…

"She's not. But my father is, so bugger off," he said. Ron crossed his arms.

"I believe that is my line," he said. Draco gave an all-suffering sigh.

"Why torture myself with your presence when I can be having a good time elsewhere?" he asked before elbowing his way between Ron and Hermione and sweeping out of the room.

"Bloody tosser," Ron muttered before crossing the room and picking up Ginny's discarded books.

"Why must you keep picking fights with him?" Ginny asked. Ron snorted.

"Malfoy _is_ a walking fight," he said. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Many would say the same about you," she said as they made their way out of the infirmary. Ron stopped walking as he thought of something.

"Hang on…" he said with a frown. "Why are you sticking up for the Ferret? Again?" Ginny turned to see both Ron and Harry looking at her warily. Hermione saved the day as she looped her arm through Ginny's and turned them down the hallway again.

"Is that what she was doing? Just seems as if she was trying to protect _you_, Ron, from doing something stupid. Like getting a detention from our _favorite_ professor for accosting his prize pupil, perhaps. In the infirmary no less. You know how Malfoy turns his words. He'd have you in Snape's clutches so fast you wouldn't know what hit you," she said. Ron's jaw dropped at the accusation.

"I would never…" he said, but was cut off by Harry's chuckle.

"Yes you would, Ron," the Boy-Who-Lived laughed. Ron looked at his friend with wide eyes.

"You're a bloody turncoat as well," he squeaked. Hermione watched Ginny from the corner of her eye as they continued towards Gryffindor Tower.

"Consider us very lucky. Malfoy could have taken fistfuls of points from us if he wanted. Why he didn't, I don't want to venture a guess," Hermione said, smiling to herself as Ginny's tense shoulders seemed to relax at the comment. The two boys followed behind, Ron glowering at the bushy-haired girl's back.

"He's bloody well planning something, that's why," he grumbled loud enough for only Harry to hear. Harry only chuckled.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

The Mark burned. It was the first time in months that the Mark had called. With a sigh, he rubbed the searing spot of flesh just above his wrist. He looked around his peers to make sure none of them noticed his distraction or his inattention to the subject at hand.

Then, with as steady voice as he could manage, he excused himself quietly from the table. It took for him to step outside the closed doors of the Great Hall before he slumped wearily against the wall as the pain radiated up his arm. No matter what anyone said, there would be no getting used to the pain.

With a few large gulps of air, he finally righted himself and started down the hallway. The Dark Lord wanted to see him. There was no disappointing the Dark Lord.

It was good he'd escaped notice within the Great Hall. The call had taken him by surprise, and it wouldn't do for someone to notice.

Little did he know… someone had…

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**


	10. Part X

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

He walked quietly out of the trees and up the darkened walkway. The pain in his arm had lessened slightly, which was fairly curious as the Dark Lord liked to make even his most loyal suffer as long as he could. But rather than dwell on that, he approached the door and rapped on its dilapidated wood. A dark robed figured opened the door without a care that the thing could fall off its hinges at any moment.

"Snape," the masked figure snarled in greeting. "He is waiting for you in the Red Room…" Severus resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It was just like Voldemort to play at airs when stuck in this abysmal excuse for headquarters. Before Lucius Malfoy had gotten himself thrown into Azkaban, the trappings of his former privilege had provided the Death Eaters with suitable ego. But now… it was all just false bravado. It was ridiculous, really.

The door to the specified room was open and Severus sneered at the appearance as he stood in the doorway. It was neither red, nor did it pass for a room. His potions closet had more space. Severus entered without announcing his presence into the seemingly empty area.

"Ah, Severus… you've arrived," a voice said from the corner. It wasn't Lord Voldemort.

Lucius smirked at the look on the potions professor's face.

"By that look, I would think you were expecting the Dark Lord?" he asked. Severus frowned.

"I don't know what I was expecting," he said. "But certainly not you…" The smirk slipped off of Lucius' face.

"You forget your place, Professor," he said. Severus bowed, his hair falling into his face as he did so.

"Forgive me," he gritted out against his will. There was nothing in the world he wanted from Lucius Malfoy. And his forgiveness was amongst that nothing. "Why has Lord Voldemort asked for me?" The smirk returned.

"It wasn't the Dark Lord who asked for you," the silver-haired man said. Severus' eyes narrowed.

"My Mark…" he said. Lucius held up his own. It, too, radiated the tell-tale glow.

"The Dark Lord is not the only one who can recite an invocation," he said. "I've been able to call other Death Eaters for a while now… it was the calling of a single that I have recently discovered…" Severus stood up straight and hid his surprise behind his usual demeanor. So, Lucius had been dabbling. And behind Voldemort's back… _interesting_…

"So, you've skirted the Dark Lord's ways and requested my presence. Why?" Severus asked. Lucius smirked again as the door to the Red Room opened.

"No reason other than to be an integral part of a family discussion," he said. Severus whirled around to see the arrival. Two Death Eaters pushed a confused and angry looking Draco roughly into the room. Severus turned back to look at the elder Malfoy. The gray eyes were cold and there was only barely restrained violence on his patrician features as he looked at his son. The pain in his arm flared up once more to remind Severus that this would probably not end well…

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Hogwarts…_

Harry and Ron watched as the two girls walked quickly ahead of them.

"What are they up to?" Ron leaned over and asked the other boy. Harry shook his head.

"I've no idea," he said, watching the girls race up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower.

"They didn't even say good-bye," Ron pouted.

"It's not like we're never going to see them again," Harry noted as they, too, ascended the stairs.

"Yeah, but…" Ron started, then realized why he was upset. _Hermione_ hadn't said good-bye. Harry snickered as Ron pursed his lips.

"You should just tell her, Ron," he advised. Ron scoffed.

"I don't want to talk about Hermione right now, Harry. Let's go toss the quaffle around a bit," he said, making an about-face and heading back down the stairs. Harry let out a sigh as he followed his determined friend down the hallway.

Just as they rounded the corner, a hurrying Professor Snape barreled towards them.

"Out of my way, Potter," Snape growled and pushed past the two boys. Ron looked at Harry.

"He didn't look pleased at all," the redhead said. Harry shrugged.

"When does he ever look pleased?" he asked.

"When there's a room full of Gryffindors in detention, or when he's taken gads of House points," Ron answered. Harry grinned.

"That about covers it," he said. Then he looked thoughtfully down the hallway that their professor had disappeared. "Do you think something's wrong?"

"Something's always wrong… Voldemort is still out there waiting around, for one," he said. Harry murmured in agreement, but his eye caught another form making their way down the Slytherin hallway. The platinum hair identified the person as Draco Malfoy.

"It's Malfoy," Harry said. Ron's head snapped around to look where Harry's attention was held. His blue eyes narrowed as he watched the Slytherin make his way silently after his Head of House.

"Hang on… why would Malfoy be slinking his way after Snape like that?" Ron asked.

"Maybe we should check it out?" Harry suggested. Ron looked to battle with himself. He'd love to catch the blond Slytherin up to no good, but chances were Malfoy'd talk himself right out of it.

"Let the snakes do themselves in. Besides, I'm for avoiding trouble tonight. Whenever we go adventuring, we always end up in trouble," Ron said. Harry smiled at his friend.

"And you don't consider an evening trip to the pitch 'adventuring'?" he asked. Ron snorted.

"With our record? Hardly," he said, steering his friend to the front doors. Harry shot another look over his shoulder wondering what, exactly, had the two figureheads of Slytherin House sneaking around. As they made their way to the door, they ran into a familiar Slytherin. Warrington? The boy sneered at the two and shoved them both aside easily.

"Watch yourself, Potter," he growled. He then turned his sneer to Ron. "Shouldn't you be wallowing around in the dirt, Weasel, seeing as that's how poor you are?" Ron glared.

"Malfoy's got better insults that you do, Warrington," he shot back. The other boy's face tightened in anger.

"Chums now, are you?" Warrington asked. Ron looked horrified.

"Absolutely not. I'd rather be mates with a temperamental skrewt," he said. Warrington looked curiously at Harry and then back at Ron.

"I'd heard you'd saved each others skins. In the Forbidden Forest? It was quite the surprise to all of Slytherin that Malfoy helped you two out," he said. "We'd have thought he'd have left you there to rot. It would have been the wise thing to do…" Ron's face went red.

"It wasn't me Malfoy helped, you daft tosser. I wouldn't have bloody well let him. It was Harry and my sister that had been in the forest and it wasn't as if they had any other choice," he said, not for any reason other than to contradict the Slytherin. Warrington smirked as if something had been confirmed and caused Harry narrowed his eyes in wonder at it. He took Ron's arm.

"Let's go Ron. You said you didn't want to get into trouble tonight," he said. Ron shrugged out of Harry's grip.

"All you Slytherins should be locked up in Azkaban for the good of wizard-kind," he growled before storming out the doors.

"Yes," Warrington drawled within earshot of Harry. "Well, all you Gryffindors should be dead…" Harry resisted the urge to turn and shout insults back at the boy and walked out the doors. He almost ran into Michael Corner as he made his way down the stairs. The two boys nodded stiffly to each other before Harry ran off to find an angry Ron Weasley.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Head Girl's Room…_

"What the bloody hell are you thinking?" Hermione asked once the girls were in the comfort of the Head Girl's private room. Ginny whirled to look at the girl in shock. Hermione never swore.

"It would seem as if my brother is rubbing off on you," the redhead said. Hermione fought the blush back and glared at her friend.

"Your brother has nothing to do with this conversation…" she said, then thought for a second. "Well, actually, he does… but your brother and what 'rubs off on me' are not relevant." Ginny couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up.

"Are you saying…" she started, but Hermione pointed a finger at her.

"Don't you dare finish that thought," she warned. Then she reached out and gripped Ginny's robes, propelling her to sit on the bed. "Now… to get back on track… What did I walk in on earlier?" The redhead shrugged.

"What did it look like you walked in on?" she asked, trying to avoid putting in to words what was really going on. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You and I both know what it looked like. What is going on, Ginny?" she asked. Ginny stood and paced in front of the older girl.

"I'm not entirely sure, 'Mione," she said, stopping to look at her. Suddenly, Hermione gasped at a sudden insight…

"It was you!" she commented. Ginny looked confused.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. Hermione gave her a knowing smile.

"The last time I was on rounds…" she started. Ginny groaned quietly as she caught on to where her friend was going. "I knew Malfoy looked a bit more flushed than usual. And I figured he'd have to have a girl up there with him. I just never would have guessed it was you…" The bushy-haired girl appraised the redhead.

"How long?" she asked when it became apparent that Ginny wasn't going to say anything in response. Ginny sighed.

"A few weeks, really. Maybe even a month… I really haven't thought about it," she admitted. Hermione let out a sigh of her own.

"I suspected something like this would happen for a while now," she told Ginny. The other girl looked at her in shock.

"You suspected? Malfoy and I barely spoke before this year," she said. Hermione smiled as she made Ginny sit down again.

"You don't need to speak to say things. He's watched you for years. I just never realized it or gave it a thought until you two started your little war of words this year," she said. Ginny sucked in a breath.

"Does Ron… does he suspect? Does Harry?" she asked. Hermione watched the other girl closely. She couldn't tell if Ginny was more concerned for her brother, Harry, Draco or herself.

"Your brother is as dense as they come," Hermione muttered in a way that bespoke of more than just the present situation. Ginny crossed her arms with a snort.

"I'll say… seven bloody years and he still hasn't figured things out," she said. Hermione looked at the other girl.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked. Ginny just smiled and shrugged. She knew the bushy-haired girl was in love with her brother. And she knew Ron was in love with her. Ginny was sure she'd gotten through to him before… but obviously not enough to warrant a change in anything. Ron and Hermione were _both_ dense when it came to being aware of the other's feelings.

"I didn't mean anything by it," she said. Hermione shook her head.

"Anyway, we're not talking about me and Ron. We're talking about you and Malfoy…" she said with a frown. Ginny's mouth went dry. She wasn't exactly sure what to say. _Was_ there a 'her and Malfoy'? They'd never talked about it. In fact, it was the one thing they went out of their way to _avoid_ talking about.

"What about me and Malfoy?" she asked. Ginny stood and began to pace again.

"What's it like to kiss him?" Hermione asked, taking an entirely different track.

"Well…" Ginny started, but then it hit her what the other girl asked. She spun to look at Hermione with wide eyes. "What!" Hermione just lifted her nose in her dignified manner, but there was an amused sparkle in her eye.

"Well, I've always been somewhat curious as to how someone so disagreeable would go about such a thing," she admitted. Ginny laughed.

"Right," she said. Hermione curled her legs under her on the bed and settled in for girl talk.

"So?" she prodded. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"And what if I asked you about kissing Viktor Krum?" she asked. Hermione had the grace to blush slightly.

"I see your point…" she said. She shifted uncomfortably, then let out a sigh. "Kissing Viktor was nice. Very nice, in fact. He is a very sweet boy, despite his Quidditch image. But, it wasn't all that I thought it would be…"

_He hadn't been Ron…_ Ginny thought with a smothered grin. Hermione let the fond smile on her face slip away as she looked pointedly at the redhead.

"Now, I shared… your turn," she said. Ginny wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"Fine…" She sat down with an unlady-like huff. "I kissed Michael and Dean back in fourth and fifth year. Neither one of them could have prepared me for what kissing Draco Malfoy feels like… I imagine even kissing Harry wouldn't compare." It came as no shock to Hermione that Ginny would say such a thing. She'd known that Ginny had gotten over the hero-worship crush on Harry a while back. Hermione studied the look on her friend's face with slight concern.

"Oh dear…" she muttered. "Are you in love with him?" Ginny snapped to attention.

"What? Why would you ask such a thing?" she asked. Hermione sat back and continued to study Ginny.

"I think he may be in love with you," she said. Ginny's mouth dropped open.

"How would you know?" she asked. Hermione smiled gently.

"As I said, he's watched you for years. And the scene in the infirmary seemed to point in that direction," she said. Ginny thought that over for a second. Then, she shook her head.

"No, it was nothing. Draco Malfoy is _not_ in love with me and I am _not_ in love with him," she said. Then she gave a satisfied nod and sat down next to the other girl. Hermione looked at her curiously.

"Well, then… it shouldn't be too much trouble to end all this nonsense then. It wouldn't do for Ron to find out about this. It'll be a disaster. You know how he gets… Why continue on with something so… pointless?" she asked. The last word Hermione muttered seemed to echo through Ginny's head. Was it pointless? Was there something real between them?

After that thought, she mentally shook herself. No. She didn't like one bit of Draco Malfoy's arrogant, snide, rude, insensitive… witty, intelligent, confident, good-looking person. She _couldn't_ like any of that. If she did it would be total disaster, just as Hermione had said.

Then why did her heart ache at the thought of not seeing him again?

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Outside the Great Hall..._

From the shadowed hallway, Draco had seen his Head of House leave the Great Hall in as near to panic as the stoic professor would allow. It wasn't unusual for the professor to stalk out of the Great Hall. In fact, it would be unusual if he _didn't_ stalk out of the room. But the man's face had been more pale than usual and Draco could swear he saw sweat at Snape's temples. He had looked to be in pain. There was only one thing that Draco could think of that would cause Professor Snape pain so quickly…

The dungeons were quiet since all the students were finishing dinner. And knowing that Snape had other things to worry about, Draco knew he could follow without being seen or heard. Concern for others beside himself was a fairly foreign concept to him, but it seemed over the past few weeks he was becoming accustomed to the feeling. He didn't like it, but it was there all the same.

He followed the professor to his office door and watched as Snape popped the top off of a pain potion and swallowed the vile tasting liquid. Then, the dark-haired man went to the floo and picked up the floo powder he usually kept in the pot next to it. He muttered a location that Draco had never heard of before and was gone in a flash of green. With the muggle saying of what curiosity did to the cat running through his head, Draco picked up a handful of floo powder as well. It wasn't often that his Head of House was quite so secretive. That in itself urged Draco to follow.

When the green flames died away, he found himself standing in a ramshackle cabin that looked to be engulfed in a bevy of trees. Where he was, he couldn't begin to guess but a sound had him striding for the only door in the place. He opened the door slightly to see Snape's robes flowing behind him as he made his way down a barely visible pathway. Draco frowned. _Where the bloody hell were they?_ There was only one way to find out… Draco stepped out into the unfamiliar territory and quickly made his way down the path that Professor Snape had traveled. Not entirely sure as to where this was leading, Draco took out his wand and prepared for whatever could take him by surprise. The area was surprisingly silent for a forest. Nothing stirred, not even the wind. The Forbidden Forest had more going on that this spit of trees. It made Draco even more wary.

It would make sense that Snape was going to meet Death Eaters. Draco had been aware of his professor's involvement within the ranks since he'd been in diapers. It was why Lucius had allowed Draco to go to Hogwarts in the first place. Draco was also aware that Snape was involved in dealings with Dumbledore's side. That was one of the main reasons Draco was questioning his own future with the Death Eaters. There was no one in this world that he trusted more than Severus Snape. And if the man was brave and cunning enough to switch loyalties, then so Draco would be as well. He was meant to become a powerful wizard… and he was meant to do so without allegiance…

A sudden noise ahead caused Draco to crouch down behind a tree. Peeking out he caught glimpse of a mansion in a clearing. Or what would have been a mansion if it hadn't gone to pot. There wasn't much of a clearing for the building to stand it as the trees and brush had been allowed free reign over the years of disarray. The mansion, which had once been decked in slendor, now looked nothing more than an organized pile of cracked masonry and rotted wood. There was a dangerous rap on what Draco assumed to be the front door that threatened to bring the whole structure down

"Snape… you've arrived," a mask muffled voice said. Draco didn't hear the rest of the conversation but inched closer as the door closed behind his professor and the dark robed Death Eater.

He was usually so careful… seven years of sneaking around the school grounds, with or without a companion, had seen to that. Of all the times for his guard to be down, being in this unfamiliar place as not a good one.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here…" a voice said on a chuckle. There was a chorus of more laughs.

"We've caught ourselves a Malfoy," another said as Draco was tugged ruthlessly to his feet.

"My father will hear about this," he tried to scold. There was another round of chuckles.

"I'm sure he's already heard. How do you think we knew to expect you?" one of the men said. Two robed men gripped his arms painfully as he struggled to get free of them. There was a chuckle as he was dragged into the foyer before another Death Eater.

"Master Malfoy… what an unexpected surprise. I believe I know of one person who would be pleased to see you here so quickly," the man said. Draco sneered.

"Only one, Montague?" he drawled to the man while trying to free himself from his captors.

Draco cursed himself for being so stupid. His father had been hunting him. To leave Hogwarts grounds without a thought had been careless. He knew that Snape was responding to a call from the Death Eaters. But his curiosity and concern for the older man had gotten the best of him. And now, here he was, standing before his father. The very man who had killed in order to locate his only son. But why resort to such tactics? Surely his father, right hand to the Dark Lord, would have better things at his disposal than this simple subterfuge. Rather than try to answer his own questions, he just frowned at the man who had given him life.

"Welcome, Draco…" his father said pleasantly. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd go on avoiding me forever." Draco sneered.

"I wasn't so much avoiding as I was hoping someone would kill you in the meantime," he said. Lucius just smiled.

"Not willing to do it yourself, Draco?" he asked. Draco shrugged.

"I'm not a complete fool, Father. I'm not nearly skilled enough to go up against you and not end up dead. If I do face you, there will be only one of us that dies. It won't be me," he said. Lucius' face was expressionless.

"Lofty of you, son," he said, fingering the wand at his hip. Snape saw this as well.

"Why is it you took the trouble of calling me here, Lucius," he said with a bored tone in his voice. The elder Malfoy turned his attention to the dark-haired man.

"You've fulfilled your purpose, Severus," Lucius said. The potions professor looked between the two Malfoys. It was then that he realized that the mentor-student, father-son relationship he'd cultivated since Draco first stepped onto Hogwarts grounds had been as detrimental as it had been deciding. For seven years the elder Malfoy had alienated his own son in order to develop the young man's weaknesses. It most certainly could not be said that Lucius Malfoy did not plan for the future.

Draco also looked between the two men in front of him and came to the same conclusion that his Head of House had.

"I am here, Father. It would be stupid of you to harm Severus. You know the Dark Lord desires his skills," he said. Lucius frowed.

"It is not your place to tell me what I should do, Draco," he said. Draco clasped his hands behind his back and held his chin arrogantly in the air.

"We have discussed my place before. It would be pointless to bring it up again. I have not changed my mind." Lucius only smiled as he approached his son. As he closed in, he retrieved his wand from its place at his hip. The harmless looking piece of wood dangled precariously between Lucius' hands.

"That is precisely why things are as they are," he said. Then, he turned and looked at Severus, raising his arm.

His father's expensive wand was now pointed at Professor Snape and caused Draco to swallow hard. It wouldn't be the first time his own arrogant posturing got someone else in trouble. Draco's eyes darted between his father and the man he had come to look to as a father.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked. Lucius sneered.

"I know this man is a traitor. I know it is he that has been filling your head with nothing but rubbish about Dumbledore and Potter and their do-gooders," the elder Malfoy said. His wand stayed trained on the other man. "You say you don't wish to be a Death Eater, Draco. But I know you. You are selfish, just as a Malfoy should be. There are things you would do to keep all the things you... _love_…" Fury came swiftly to Draco as the implication translated. The things he cared for, admired, respected… he could count them all on one hand. And his father was threatening to destroy them all if Draco did not fall into step. His own wand rose and pointed at the older man.

"What will your threats get you, Father, but more hatred from me?" he asked. Lucius smirked.

"Hatred? You've become soft, son, thinking I care of such things. You think I want anything from you besides what you were brought into existence to do?" he asked. There was a pain somewhere in Draco's chest. It was one thing to inherently know such a truth, but it was another thing entirely to have it spelled out.

"I was mistaken, then, in thinking there was a father located somewhere within you," Draco said, his voice breaking only once. _Expelliarmus._ His father had him disarmed with a word.

"I should kill you as I was ordered to," Lucius hissed as he approached his son. Draco stared at him.

"Then why don't you?" he challenged.

"Because it would please me to have you among the Death Eater ranks, just as it would please the Dark Lord. It would please us to no end to see you join of your own free will," he said. Then, he smirked. "And you will. Do not doubt it…" Draco's eyes went to Severus.

"You have threatened the one person that I actually care about. Still, I do not join," he said. Severus was taking advantage of the elder Malfoy's focus on his only son.

"The Dark Lord will enjoy torturing Severus. He's been so looking forward to it," he said. "I will personally enjoy torturing everything and every_one_…" His threat was cut short as he suddenly crumbled to the ground, unconscious. Draco looked up at Severus, who now had a hold of Draco's discarded wand.

"Let's be off," the dark haired man said.

"But we have to give him over to the Aurors," Draco said, looking down at the unmoving form. Severus took his arm.

"There's no time, Draco. The Dark Lord is coming. He has touched my mind… and if we do not leave, he will touch yours as well. And he will know how to strike at you," the professor said. The urge to see his father pay was strong for Draco, but his urge to keep all that he cared for safe was stronger. He let Severus apparate them out of the holding without a fight.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Hogwarts..._

Ginny walked slowly down the hallway as she thought over the conversation she'd had with Hermione. This thing with Draco was taking on a life of its own and Ginny wasn't sure what she should do about it. Was Hermione right? Should she just… finish it? It wasn't if they were dating. And if they were, it wasn't as if it would go anywhere. His father had tried to kill her… and her brother _would_ kill him. Not exactly the formula for happily ever after. Or even semi-happily ever after… Nowhere near it, really.

Ginny let out a quiet laugh at the realization that the only person she seemed to be thinking about for the past few weeks was the one person in the entire wizard and muggle world alike she should not be entertaining thoughts about.

She wasn't sure where she was heading, but since hallway curfews hadn't been imposed yet she just walked. If anything was going to get a grip on renegade emotions, a walk alone should help it along.

So lost in thought she was that Ginny never noticed a presence behind her as she made her way to the less traveled parts of the castle. The presence continued to follow her, unnoticed, and decided to take advantage as she turned the corner into a poorly lit hallway.

A hand clasped over her mouth as a startled shriek erupted and an arm roughly made its way around her waist. Ginny tried to bite down on the hand that kept her silent, but the owner was smart enough to move it away when she did. She quickly found herself pushed up against the wall, her cheek pressed harshly into the rough stone.

"A good little Gryffindor… don't you know it isn't safe to go wandering off alone?" a voice hissed in her ear. Ginny heard the clatter of wood as her wand was removed and tossed away. Her hand came up to claw at the face next to hers, but the arm around her waist was removed and her wrist was caught. A heavy male body pressed against her back, effectively holding her in place. Panic was working its way into Ginny's usually practical mind.

"Now…" her attacker said. "We'll get the celebration we were denied, little Weasel…" Ginny's eyes went wide as she remembered the quidditch confrontation. _Warrington__…_

"Let me go you gigantic tosser!" she yelled, muffled slightly by the wall. Warrington leaned down again.

"Ah, ah, ah… little Gryffindors are best when they're silent… except for occasional shrieks now and again," he said. Ginny winced as she felt his hands fumbling purposely under her robes. She squeezed her eyes closed and suppressed a disgusted shudder when clammy hands finally found the skin of her stomach. She squirmed under the touch and tried to move away. Warrington decided to switch tactics and turned her around, pushing her roughly back against the wall. Her head hit the stone hard and she let out a small cry, causing Warrington to grin. His lips descended onto hers and she bit him… hard.

Rather than be angered by the pain, he just pulled back and laughed as he tasted the blood on his lip.

"So this is how it's going to be, is it?" he asked. Ginny just glared at him in disgust.

"How else did you expect it, you wanker?" she asked. This time, Warrington glared back.with barely restrained violence. A hand reached up and slapped her, then his forearm came up to rest against her neck.

"Seeing the position you're in, you stupid Gryffindor, I'd think you'd curb your bloody tongue," he said. Her air supply was limited as the arm against her throat pushed harder against her windpipe. She had to get free… but he'd caught her completely off guard. Her arms and legs were pinned by his body and she was trapped with no way to fight back. She closed her eyes and willed herself to pass out. It would be her only protection against whatever Warrington had planned for her…

Suddenly, though, she was free. Ginny's eyes snapped open and she gasped in the air that had come so inadequately as she collapsed to her knees. Belated tears escaped out of the corner of her eyes as she looked up to see Warrington held against the wall, a wand digging dangerously into his cheek.

"There is nothing you can say that could keep me from killing you right now," Draco's voice hissed. Ginny looked up at him, startled. She scrambled to her feet and rested her hand on his arm. That very arm was so rigid that it almost shook. The restrained violence in him did not shock her when he finally looked at her.

"Don't, Draco… don't do anything to get in trouble," she said quietly, concern for him helping to keep the shock and fear at bay. With another look at the other Slytherin, Draco lowered his wand and pushed Ginny behind him. Warrington sneered.

"Yes, protect your Gryffindor whore, Malfoy…" he said. Draco's jaw clenched and his hand rose so quickly to deliver the blow that Ginny barely registered it. There was a loud 'smack' that echoed in the empty hall. Ginny took a surprised step back as Warrington's beefy form fell to the ground, blood oozing from his nose. Draco stepped back with her, but his cool gaze stayed locked on the boy on the ground.

"Would you like to try another?" he asked icily. Warrington looked up at him.

"You've made a big mistake, Malfoy," he said, using the corner of his robes to wipe the blood away from his lips. Draco sneered.

"I doubt that," he said. Warrington's gaze flicked back to Ginny, but Draco stepped in front of her, not allowing the other boy to inflict any more on her. "I think you will find it is you who made the mistake. It would be best if you picked yourself up and went back to the common room. Snape and Dumbledore will be hearing of this…" Warrington stood as he was bid.

"You'd sell out a fellow Slytherin for a bloody Gryffindor…" he said. Draco didn't need to look back to know that Ginny was still trembling. She stood close enough to him that he could feel it.

"Without hesitation, Warrington," Draco said, his hand reaching back and running gently over Ginny's own hand. He heard her small exhalation, almost as if he'd proven something to her, and her cool fingers ran over his in return.

"I advise you to watch your back then, Malfoy… you've just made enemies of your housemates," he said. Draco looked nonplussed at the other boy's declaration.

"I somehow doubt that, not that it matters. They were never allies to begin with," was all he said. Warrington brushed by Draco with a smirk, and he reached out to brush a hand over Ginny's shoulder. She all but collapsed against Draco to avoid the touch. Draco's hand shot out and gripped the offending appendage in a bruising hold.

"Leave, Warrington, before I break more than just your nose," he hissed before letting the other boy's arm go and turning to support Ginny properly. When Draco looked over his shoulder, Warrington was gone. His attention was now solely on the redhead.

Ginny's knees buckled again and Draco tightened his arms around her. Her arms went around his waist and pressed herself tightly against him, hoping to ward off the fear with his strength.

"I'm beginning to think you're an awful lot of trouble, Weasley," Draco said, bringing a hand up to run over the back of her hair. There was a muffled, watery laugh as her face was pressed into the rough wool of his cloak. With a deep breath, she finally looked up at him. There were tear tracks on her face, but she was no longer crying. He reached up to wipe the wetness from her cheek.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Her chin lifted in the defiant way that he had come to admire.

"I will be," she said, echoing her words to the Headmaster. Draco smiled.

"Dumbledore was right… you are every inch the Gryffindor," he said without the usual mocking tone. He almost sounded proud. It caused her to smile and lean into him once more.

"Let's get out of here," he said into her hair. She nodded as he took her hand and led her out of the hallway in towards the Slytherin dungeons.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**


	11. Part XI

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Dumbledore's office…_

"Lucius Malfoy knows…" Severus said. Dumbledore sat behind his desk, hands clasped on the ends of the rests.

"This is… unfortunate…" was all he said. Severus shifted on his feet uncomfortably.

"If Lucius knows about me, there is no saying what else he knows. Or what Voldemort knows. There is a traitor here, and this person is not in my House. I have suspected young Warrington, but it is not merely him," the potions professor said. Dumbledore nodded and looked to Professor McGonagall.

"Minerva, inform Harry… Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger, as well, to mind what they say. Even to students within their own House," he said. McGonagall nodded sadly.

"I cannot believe it has come to this," she commented. Dumbledore nodded in agreement.

"Vincent Crabbe was one of the few I'd feared would show themselves. Our eyes have been watchful of those in Slytherin House, with good reason. But Salazar's students are not the only ones who have betrayed…" he reminded his two trusted professors. Severus nodded once.

"Pettigrew," he said. Dumbledore nodded again.

"Yes. No one is immune," he said. McGonagall shook her head.

"How are we supposed to get House Unity when the Houses themselves are all suspect?" she asked. Dumbledore only smiled his half smile.

"My dear Minerva, it is that very House Unity that will end up betraying the betrayers."

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Warrington slammed into the Slytherin common room without a care of whom or what he ran over in the process. His nose had since stopped bleeding, but he certainly hadn't stopped fuming. Ginny Weasley had been the catalyst in which all his anger exploded out. A beautiful, frightened catalyst. If only Malfoy had been a few minutes later in arriving. It would have been interesting to see his reaction then. The icy calm Malfoy usually presented had cracked… and for a bloody Gryffindor. Warrington had spewed his threats hoping that the other boy would do something stupid.

But Draco Malfoy was smart. He had everyone trained from day one. All Hogwarts feared him. Therefore, they didn't question him. Warrington had been the only one that hadn't bought into it when he'd arrived. Oh, he'd been intimidated like the rest of his class at the glowering, mouthy second year. But unlike the others, he'd found a chink in the Slytherin Prince's expensive and well-made armor. And like those in his House would do, he planned to exploit that failing. Unfortunately, it hadn't worked as well as he'd thought tonight.

"Bloody bastard," he muttered as he ran a hand over his tender nose. He'd have gone to Madame Pomfrey, but she would have asked questions. Morag MacDougal would gladly practice her healing skills on him if he asked. Morag was to him as Pansy had been to Draco – means for a higher purpose. She was one of the few that Malfoy hadn't been able to crush under his thumb.

Slowly - during third, fourth and fifth years - a few more students filtered to their small group as the Malfoy reign of terror ran amuck. And it wasn't just Slytherins. But he really didn't care about those in the other Houses. They would serve their purpose. All he wanted was information. And information was what he was bloody well going to get… It would provide him status that above Draco in the eyes of the Dark Lord. Vincent Crabbe had started the ball rolling. Lucius Malfoy wouldn't tolerate his son doing anything that wasn't expected of him. And that included taking the Dark Mark.

Warrington grinned at that thought. He'd been elated that he had received the Dark Mark before the Slytherin Prince… the Dark Lord's chosen heir. His father had worked it out for him with the other Death Eaters to receive the Mark. Of course, the elder Warrington had paid with his life after Lord Voldemort had found out about the breach of procedure and blatant disregard of his orders. It hadn't bothered him in the least. His father had been a means to an end. An orphan now, the younger Warrington was a ward of Lord Voldemort himself. Nothing could have pleased him more. The Dark Lord would look to him as his most loyal once his competition was taken care of.

"Cole!" a female voice cried, interrupting his thoughts. "What the bleeding hell did you do to yourself?" Warrington turned to give Morag a glare.

"What does it look like I've been doing? I've been bleeding," he said, finally sitting down on the couch in front of the fireplace. There was a flurry of robes and the flowing scent of expensive perfume as the girl sat herself next to him and fussed over he stains and the growing bruise.

"You've been fighting," she commented with a cluck of her tongue.

"It's good of you to say so. I never would have known," he drawled. Morag huffed.

"Sometimes you can be as bad as Malfoy," she said. Warrington gripped her wrist and pulled it away from his face roughly.

"I am nothing like that weak, Gryffindor-loving traitor," he growled. Morag's eyes went wide.

"You got into a fight with _Malfoy_?" she asked, incredulous. "Are you completely daft?" He stood and paced in front of her.

"He chose a Gryffindor over a Slytherin. That should be enough to turn the House against him," he said. She watched him with doubtful eyes.

"If you think so," she said. Morag MacDougal wasn't stupid. She was fully aware of Cole Warrington's ambitions. She supported those ambitions and wanted to be there when he succeeded. But she was also fully aware of Draco Malfoy's presence in Slytherin House. He'd ruled, unchallenged, for seven years and had full support of their 'Death Eater' Head of House.

"I know so," Warrington said with conceit. Morag shook her dark head as she continued to tend to his face.

"You'd best be careful then. Our House is very much divided," she said. Warrington looked sharply at her.

"What are you on about?" he asked. Morag rolled her eyes. The arrogance of men. They thought they had it all figured out.

"There are some who would die supporting Draco… not the Dark Lord. You've been blind in your ambition and your hatred. After fifth year, Draco became more than just a mouthy little git with money and power. He became quieter mouthy git with a more subtle agenda," she informed him. He narrowed his eyes.

"How do you know all of this?" he asked.

"I've eyes, don't I? Plus, I happen to be friends with Pansy. She first noticed the change in him… and after she said something, I began to watch him," she said. "I also know something that you probably don't know…"

"What's that?"

"Snape is a traitor…" she said. Warrington couldn't cover the surprise he felt, which caused the girl in front of him to smirk. "He is a member of Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix…" He stood up and pulled Morag to her feet.

"You're sure of this?" he asked. She thought back to the intense conversation she'd had moments before returning to the common room.

"Oh yes. Very sure," she said. Warrington kissed her hard before he let her go and picked up his cloak.

"Where are you off to?" she asked. He smirked at her over his shoulder.

"I've some things to take care of," he said as he left her alone in the room. Over the years, it had been Malfoy's circle that had ruled the school. Warrington's smirk grew wider. Now, he had his circle. Malfoy – either Malfoy - was no longer the threat he once was. He would make sure of that.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+****O+O**

They walked into Draco's private room without saying anything. He wasn't exactly sure what he _should_ say, and she didn't know how to thank him without sounding inadequate. Instead, they both ran the entire hallway scene through their heads again. Ginny inwardly cursed herself for her stupidity at putting herself in such a situation. Draco cursed himself over and over again for not killing the bastard.

"How did you find us?" Ginny asked suddenly. It was curious that he had been the one to rescue her. Draco led her to a comfortable looking chair and sat her down. He crouched in front of her.

"Are you sure you are all right?" he asked, not sure what he could do if she wasn't. Ginny's eyes narrowed.

"You didn't answer my question, Draco," she said. When he opened his mouth to respond, she stopped him. "I'm fine, before you demand. I'll have a cry over it later and then it'll be done. But you… you are hiding something." Her comment was met with silence. Then, he sighed and stood. A hand went through his pale hair.

"I'm not hiding anything. I just…" he said. Ginny took his hand at his hesitation.

"Tell me," she ordered just as well as he could. His eyes met her and his resistance dissolved. Draco pulled on her hand and brought her to her feet. He took her place in the chair and immediately pulled her into his lap. They were both tense, each unaccustomed to the closeness and tenderness of the position. But when Draco wrapped his arms around her waist, Ginny melted into him. Her head fell back to rest in the hollow of his shoulder. They sat like that for a while, relishing the newness of the situation. Then, he started to talk.

"I was afraid when I heard my father had threatened you. I thought he knew about us… seeing… each other," he said, leaning his cheek against her hair. "He wasn't aware that it was more than just words or saving you in the forest. At least, he hadn't at that point…" His voice trailed off and when she turned slightly to look back at him, he had a far away look on his face. She laid her hand over one of his to draw him back.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, unsure of how this was going to answer her original question. Then, she decided she didn't care. Draco was telling her something… and that was more than she had any right to expect. He let out a breath, preparing to continue.

"All my life I haven't been trying to please a father. I have been trying to please a lord and master. When I got to Hogwarts, I finally found a person I could look up to. A person who actually cared about me and what I would become," he said.

"Snape," Ginny murmured.

"He's been more a father to me than my own. He is my family…" then he squeezed her hand. "I hated your family, first, because Lucius did. It was expected of me. Then, I hated your family because you were a family. Whether you loved Muggles or not made no difference. But it was a nice cover," he said.

"What changed?" she asked softly. Draco smiled.

"My life," he answered. "The summer between fifth and sixth year was one I spent contemplating. I thought about my father, I thought about Voldemort, I thought about that blasted Dark Mark. I even thought about… _Potter…_" Ginny chuckled at the predictable acidity in that one word. Rather than say anything, though, she let Draco continue.

"I'd spent those five years stewing in a hatred bred by my father. I did things and said things that I thought he would say. But as much as I may look like my father, I have no wish to become him. He could have been a star quidditch player. He could have been a top Auror. He could have been the Minister of bloody Magic. But instead, he sold himself to serve the Dark Lord," Draco sneered. "He keeps going on about Malfoy pride and Malfoy dignity… but he bows before a half-blood and his only power lies behind a mask and dark robe. That is not pride or dignity. And now… he plans to rule his only son by threats…" Ginny sucked in a breath and shifted so that she could look at him.

"What happened tonight, Draco?" she asked. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the cool leather of the chair.

"My father lured me to him by using Severus and threatened to kill him," he said. His eyes opened and looked directly into hers. "He threatened to destroy everything I care about…" Ginny swallowed.

"How did you both get away? You both _did_ get away, right?" she asked. Draco nodded.

"Lucius disarmed me. His conversation with me distracted him from Severus, who'd picked up my wand and stunned him. We apparated back to the Hogwarts gates and had to sneak in the back way. Severus went to speak with Dumbledore. I was going to wait for him in his office when I came across you and…" This time, he swallowed hard. Ginny rested her head again on his shoulder. She didn't want to think about that.

"I'm sorry about your father," she said. Draco chuckled, breaking the mood that had enveloped them.

"You need to stop being such a bloody Gryffindor," he said. "You either _have_ to go fix things or _want _to go fix things. You'll have to face the inevitable one day… not everything can be fixed." Ginny sat up with a bemused smile and swung her legs around to drape over the arm of the chair.

"Oh really? And am I supposed to take the Slytherin approach to everything, then? Fix only what I want fixed and blast everything else?" she asked. Draco smirked.

"It _is_ the better of the two approaches," he said. Ginny looked thoughtful for a second.

"You said you 'hated' my family. Was that past tense?" she asked. Draco squirmed under her look for a second.

"I bloody well hate your brother and will continue to do so until my next life," he informed her. Ginny smiled.

"Which?" she asked. Draco cursed. He forgot she had a quidditch team of brothers.

"The red-faced one…" he said. "Ron…"

"You know, I think that is the first time I've ever heard you call him by his name," she said with a laugh. Draco shrugged.

"He will always be Weasel to me," he said. With a shameless grin, he launched into humming a chorus of 'Weasley is Our King'. Ginny shook her head.

"Admit it, it was right pratish of you to do that to him," she said.

"Of course I'll admit it. Mainly because I am a prat…" he said. "I do believe it was you who continuously called me such."

"Oh? And the names you called me were flattering?" she prompted. Draco shrugged.

"They could have been a lot worse," he commented. Ginny arched him a look.

"And you wonder why you got yourself a bloody Bat Bogey Hex…" she said. Draco grimaced at the memory.

"For that, you're going to get tossed," he said. Ginny let out a shriek as he stood, with her in his arms. He then tossed her carelessly back into the chair.

"You prat," she laughed as she made herself comfortable. "Speaking of that horrid creation of yours…"

"My song?" he asked innocently. Ginny gave him a look.

"Of course your song… Anyways… as a representative of Gryffindor House, I feel obligated to say thank you for the wonderful song that we could provide an adaptation for," she said, with a grin. Draco's face twisted in disgust.

"Who knew my own words could be used against me like that. But I do have to admit that your brother has improved," he said. Ginny's eyes went wide.

"A compliment for the red-faced Weasel? I'm impressed," she said. Draco shrugged.

"Actually, it is I who is impressed. Who knew that my simple jeering could be catalyst to such progress?" he asked, sitting back against his desk nonchalantly.

"You think too highly of yourself," she commented.

"Perhaps, but it's your brother who took my paltry suggestion to heart," Draco said. Ginny scoffed.

"Paltry suggestion, my arse. It's only because he wants to beat your House into the ground… perhaps you as well," she said. Draco stood up and approached her with his usual confident gait.

"I think Slytherin may actually win the Cup this year. Perhaps Potter's shoulder could go out again…" Draco said, scratching his cheek in thought as he stood in front of her. Ginny reached out and smacked his arm.

"Draco…" she chided. "Harry's completely healed now. We'll win the rest of our games. It'll be a Slytherin/Gryffindor final. You wait and see," she said. Draco leaned over the chair and smirked.

"Looking forward to it," he said before kissing her lightly. Then he stood straight. "Sorry we had to beat you while you were seeker." Ginny smirked back at him.

"You are not," she said, watching as he rid himself of his cloak and robes. Draco grinned back as he draped them over the back of the chair.

"You're right, I'm not. Still, I can't help but wish I'd beaten Potter," he said, loosening his tie.

"Don't you think you're taking this feud a little too seriously?" she asked. Draco scoffed as he reached out and pulled her to her feet.

"Never. I hate Scarhead. More, even, than your brother. He and I will be feuding as they bury us," he said. Ginny's face twisted.

"That's morbid…" she commented.

"We of the dungeons tend to be as such," he said. Ginny giggled.

"You really are too much at times," she said before she kissed him. His arms tightened around her.

"Too much what?" he prodded as they parted to breathe. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Everything. You're too much everything. Too conceited, too Slytherin, too Malfoy, too witty, too rich, too sneaky, too smart…" she listed off. It became apparent that there was a whole list she wanted to go through.

"I'll take that as a compliment," he said, cutting her off before she could start in again.

"You would," she said on a laugh. It was good to see this side of Draco. For years she never knew this lighter side of him had even existed. She instinctively knew there had been more to that summer than simple contemplation. Probably more to do with his father and with the Death Eaters. But she didn't dwell on that. Instead she just thanked all the deities that it led to this moment.

"Yes, I would," he said, bringing her back to the moment.

"Harry wouldn't," she teased. Draco's eyes darkened at the name, but refrained from saying anything too caustic. Potter would always be a sensitive nerve, especially where she was concerned. But it wouldn't do to air that particular grievance at the moment.

"Yes, Saint Potter would do everything to be the complete opposite. It's why we hate each other…" he said, allowing himself one dig.

"That and you're a prat," Ginny replied kindly. Draco's dark brow rose as he looked down at her.

"I'll bet you'd never call Potter a prat," he grumbled. Ginny shook her head.

"No… but Harry wouldn't make a good prat. You, on the other hand, do it so well," she said. Draco smirked before kissing her in order to prove her words correct.

"Why are we talking about Potter?" he asked as his lips descended to her neck.

"Draco!" she giggled breathlessly as one of his hands found its way beneath her shirt.

"My quota for holding back insults on the Terrible Trio has been exceeded. As has my good deed quota. I'm duty bound to do something pratish," he said. She laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. When he leaned back up to kiss her senseless once more, a single thought went through her head.

_Crap_. She was in love with Draco Malfoy…

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Grimmauld__ Place__…_

"Are you sure?" Arthur Weasley asked. Dumbledore looked grave from where he was standing, hands supporting himself on the kitchen table.

"I'm afraid, Arthur, it is time. Lord Voldemort knows Severus is a traitor. He knows that both he and Draco have been to their lair. They will search out new headquarters. We must strike now before our advantage is lost," he said. Arthur looked to four or his six sons standing next to him.

"Fred, George…" he said, a worried look on his tired face. "Go home to your mother. Tell her the raid is tonight." The twins looked at each other, then to Bill and Charlie, and then, finally, to their father.

"But Dad…" they said in unison. The Weasley patriarch held up his hand.

"No argument boys. Someone has to be home with your mother. With Ron and Ginny off at Hogwarts and Percy… and Percy off on his own, it falls to you two. I will not have her worrying over the lot of us," he said. Fred grumbled.

"No, just us…" he said. George elbowed him.

"Dad…" George piped up.

"… what about Harry?" the twins ended together. Arthur sighed and put his hands in his pockets.

"Harry is to stay at Hogwarts. He is not to know about the raid tonight," he said. Dumbledore nodded as he looked to the Weasley twins.

"It is not Harry's fight yet. He is skilled, that much is true. But he is not ready to face Voldemort. That fight will come soon enough," the Headmaster said. Charlie frowned from his seat.

"What about Ron and Ginny, then?" he asked.

"… and Hermione…" the twins reminded. Charlie glared at his brothers for their interruption.

"Are they ready to fight as well?" he asked. Arthur turned to look into the fire. He hated that his children would be integral parts in a war that had begun before they were born.

"They will be safe at Hogwarts…" he muttered.

"But Dad…" George said.

"… surely you know that where one goes…" Fred cut in.

"… the others will be sure to follow…" George finished. Arthur sighed. He knew that his two youngest would follow Harry and Hermione to the end of the world and back if there were danger. It was what he would have done, back in his Gryffindor days. When he'd found out that his little Ginny had accompanied the others into the Ministry of Magic their fifth year he'd about had a heart attack then and there.

"I'm aware of that, boys. They will be prepared as best they can. Harry knows what he's doing. If he asks for their help, it will be because they are ready to help him. If the stupid bloody Ministry hadn't sicced Umbridge on them, they would be more ready…" Arthur grumbled. Fred and George shared a look as they remembered giving leave of Hogwarts and its warden, Delores Umbridge. It had been a crowning moment in their many moments. There was a clearing of the throat.

"I have the utmost confidence that the children at Hogwarts will be fully prepared to defend themselves and their school if needs be," Severus said, shocking all with the lack of derision in his voice. In fact, he sounded confident in the Hogwarts populace's abilities.

"You sound as if attack on them is imminent," Bill commented from the corner he was standing in. Severus turned to look at him.

"We are about to launch a major offensive against the Dark Lord," he said, causing the eldest Weasley sibling to squirm under his glare. "He will retaliate. And he will retaliate against what he sees as the weakest point. Now where, exactly, do you think that might be?"

"What about the traitor?" Bill asked after the professor's point was absorbed. Severus looked to Dumbledore.

"The traitors will stay where they are. They are safer within the walls of Hogwarts," the old wizard said.

"How's that?" Charlie asked. The Headmaster turned to the young man.

"There they can be observed. There they can be used to our advantage if needs be," he said.

"Besides," Bill scoffed. "He said traitors… as in more than one. If we take them all out of Hogwarts, it will alert Voldemort to our knowledge."

"Hang on… More than one traitor? Who are they?" Charlie asked, hearing this information for the first time.

"The whole of Slytherin House, for one… And Malfoy leading the charge," George grumbled. This time Fred elbowed him as Severus leveled them a healthy glare.

"I would not judge those you know nothing about, Weasleys. There are those in Slytherin House who will do as expected by people such as you. But then there are those who have come across changing… circumstances… that cannot be ignored," he said. The twins opened their mouths to argue back, but Arthur held up his hand.

"Enough. To your mother, boys. We must be off. The rest of the Order is waiting for us," he said. Fred and George frowned.

"Two of the most brilliant minds in wizarding Britain…" George grumbled.

"… relegated to mother-sitting duty…" Fred continued.

"… a slight upon our person, I'll tell you…" George finished as they flooed out of the Order Headquarters. When the small room was free of the twins, Arthur looked back to Bill and Charlie.

"You are aware of what this will entail?" he asked. The two men nodded.

"This is not a simple Auror raid to get the drop on Death Eaters," Severus said. "We must use the Killing Curse. Azkaban will do us… and them… no good." Dumbledore nodded.

"I'm afraid he is correct. Dementors and bars will not keep Voldemort from freeing his followers. Not with war on the horizon," he said, looking older than he had in the past. "There will be much death in the very near future…"

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

There was a quick knock on the door that caused Draco's eyes to snap open. Then he heard it open. The only people that knew his password were Severus, Blaise and Goyle. With a sigh, he reached over and drew the sheets higher over Ginny and slipped out of the bed and into his robe. He crossed the room just as the forms of Blaise Zabini and Greg Goyle entered. The two boys took in Draco's appearance and immediately averted their eyes from the bed. It was the one thing that Draco appreciated most about his two friends – they weren't the curious sort.

"What's going on?" he asked. Blaise and Goyle both lifted the wrist cuffs of their robes. Two Dark Marks glowed eerily. Draco sighed as he ran a hand over his face. His two friends had received their Marks upon their eighteenth birthdays earlier in the school year. Draco himself wasn't supposed to receive his until June. Never, if he could help it.

"We can't locate Professor Snape," Goyle said. Draco stood up straight.

"Do you think he answered the call?" he asked. Blaise shook his head.

"No. The call was about an hour ago. We've been trying to find Snape all night. He and Dumbledore are not here at Hogwarts," he said.

"Potter?" Draco asked.

"Safe in Gryffindor Tower," the dark-haired boy said. Draco nodded. Whatever took both Snape and Dumbledore out of the castle couldn't be world-ending. Otherwise their ace wizard would be with them.

"Warrington?"

"That's the other part of the reason we're here. He's gone too," Blaise said.

"We think he was called," Goyle said. Draco frowned.

"He's a bloody sixth year…" he said. Blaise and Goyle shared a look.

"We know. But remember when Calder Warrington was found dead? Rumor had it that he broke tradition…" Blaise said. Draco nodded.

"And gave his son the Mark…" he concluded. "It would explain a lot of Warrington's actions as of late. Did you tell Pansy any of this?" The two other boys shook their heads.

"She's practically given herself the Dark Mark. And she's been hanging around Morag MacDougal a lot lately since you've been… distracted from her," Goyle said. Draco nodded, letting the last comment slide.

"Good," he said. "Let me get dressed. Meet me back here in a half an hour." The two boys nodded, but their eyes couldn't help but stray to the unmistakably red hair that lay on Draco's pillow. Draco followed their line of vision and tensed.

"I'll wake her and send her back to Gryffindor. Goyle… I would appreciate it if you would make sure she makes it back without incident," he said. Goyle nodded.

"I'll wait outside the door," he said. With that, the two boys took their leave.

Draco crossed the room again and stood at the edge of the bed. He looked down at Ginny and let traitorous thoughts run through his head for a moment. But only a moment. He shook them away quickly when he realized that they were of an alternate reality… not the future. What had happened tonight could not happen again. Not until all of this was over. And one or both of them could be dead by that point. He let out a suffering, yet resigned sigh as he leaned over her and gently shook her shoulder.

"Gin?" he prodded. She didn't move, so he shook her one more time. After a moment, her hand slapped his away.

"It isn't in your best interest to wake a sleeping Weasley," she mumbled sleepily. "You think our tempers are legendary while we're awake... try it half-asleep..." Draco rolled his eyes as he poked at her arm one more time.

"Wake up, Gin..." he said before leaning over and kissing her gently. Unaccustomed to being awoken in such a fashion, her eyes snapped open. The shock wore off and she stretched to return the kiss. Finally, Draco sat back and looked at her.

"My brothers don't wake me that way," she commented, rising to rest on her elbows. Draco's face twisted in horror.

"I would sincerely hope not," he said. She laughed softly. Draco's face was serious as he stood from the bed and went to gather his discarded clothing.

"You need to get back to Gryffindor. If anyone else finds you here, I'm not sure what will happen," he said. Ginny's good mood died an immediate death.

"Anyone _else_?" she asked. "Who's seen me here?" Her temper was starting to take hold. Draco sighed as he picked up her shirt and threw it to her.

"Zabini and Goyle stopped by unannounced," he told her. She sat up and looked at the white material for a moment before picking it up and slipped it on. Her eyes watched him closely. He seemed far away, and not just in thought. It was as if he'd distanced himself from her as she'd slept. Ginny's skin chilled and she could feel the goose bumps run across her skin. The closeness she'd felt to him only hours before suddenly felt lost. There was a question in her mind that kept leaping to her lips, but never any further. She was afraid of the answer… and she was afraid of no answer. But finally, Ginny's mind could not be denied.

"What's going on, Draco?" she asked as she watched him button his wrinkled Oxford.

"I have some things to take care of yet tonight," he said. Ginny's eyes went fearful as this was not the answer she wanted or needed.

"What things?" she asked. Draco looked up at her. She kneeled in the middle of his bed, her own wrinkled Oxford covering her body and her red hair glaringly out of place. They had escaped to their own little world for a little while, but reality had seeped in while they'd slept.

He wanted to answer her. He wanted to say his father, the Death Eaters, traitors, Warrington, Harry Potter… _those_ things… But he couldn't.

"Just… things," he said, turning away from her. She didn't say anything, but he heard her get off the bed. There was silence as she continued to dress. Finally, when he knew she was ready to leave, she approached him. Draco could sense that she wanted more answers. But he could also sense her hesitation. He mentally applauded the restraint he knew Weasleys were hard to come by.

"Draco," she said. He turned to look at her and she surprised him when she took his face in her hands and kissed him softly. "Be careful…" It was as simple as that. He'd wanted her gone and she left. No tears, no complaining, no further prodding. And now that he was alone in the cold and dark room, he wanted nothing more than to call her back. Closing his eyes, he gripped the wood of his desk chair and practiced a restraint of his own. When the chair was dangerously close to snapping in his grip, he pushed it to the desk with a resounding 'thump'.

_Bugger it..._ He was knee-deep in love with Ginny Weasley. This would not do... not now, when all was about to explode…

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

**_Oh, the things I have planned… _**


	12. Part XII

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_The next night..._

Nothing really exploded, per say. Not just yet, anyway. Those chosen from the Order for this mission apparated to a point just beyond the cabin that Snape had informed them of. Remus Lupin and Arthur Weasley stood at the head of the small, but formidable, group of Order members.

"Remember what Professor Dumbledore said… no prisoners. We cannot afford to take any of them alive. If you are uncomfortable with the Killing Curse, turn back now," Arthur advised. No one moved. Bill and Charlie stepped next to their father and raised their wands at the ready. Mad-Eye Moody, Nymphadora Tonks, Remus and the rest followed suit. Arthur nodded.

"Right then," he said, clearing his throat and causing Remus to smile. "Moody, Tonks, Remus and I will each take a few of you and we'll have to find our ways in. Moody has been working on an advanced anti-ward spell. If it works…"

"_If_ it works?" Mad-Eye grumbled. "It will work, my good man. There's no _if_ about it…" Arthur smiled.

"Yes… well… we'd like to have the element of surprise, but should something alert them to our presence, be prepared to fight for your lives and don't forget your training," he said. "Bill… Charlie… you're with me…" The two Weasley children looked between themselves.

"Dad…" Bill started, but Arthur held up his hand.

"No. It's final. It is the only promise I made to your mother, and I'll not have her on my hide when we get back," he said trying to hide the worry he felt. Then he turned to look at the rest of the group. "Let's be off then… Good luck to whoever gets in first."

Bill and Charlie both smiled as they followed after their father. Arthur Weasley, a general he was not. But in the thick of things, with Dumbledore and Snape going back to watch over Hogwarts, he was the man with the most experience and someone everyone trusted with their well-being.

Arthur led his chosen brigade towards the right side of the mansion. Mad-Eye, Tonks and Remus decided their approach would be best from the other side.

"Best make sure your heads are covered, boy. The tops of our heads tend to be beacons wherever we go," Arthur said good-naturedly as he pulled the hood of his cloak over the telltale Weasley hair. Bill and Charlie mirrored their father's actions as they inched along the side of the wall quietly. Suddenly, Arthur held up his hand to stop their progress.

"This looks as good a place as any," he said, pointing to the window.

"Do you think Moody's anti-ward spell worked?" Charlie asked Bill. The older man shrugged.

"I hope so, otherwise all this sneaking around is only taking us quietly to our death," he said. Arthur leveled his oldest son a look before pointing his wand at the window.

"_Alohomora_," he whispered with a wave of his wand. The window unlocked and started to slide up. Arthur peeked his cloak-covered head into the opening and looked around the empty room. It took but moments for the small group to climb through their chosen entrance.

"Well, we're in. What next?" Ulias Harplock, an older member of the Order, asked. Arthur looked around the dusty room.

"We find Death Eaters… and kill them," he said. Part of him wished that they would come across either Lucius Malfoy or Lord Voldemort himself. Killing Malfoy would make this monster they were facing have one less head. Killing Voldemort would take off all the heads entirely. Either one would be a win for the Order. Both would be an assured victory.

"What if we run into You-Know-Who?" another Order member asked. Charlie snorted.

"Pray that you can run fast enough in the other direction," he said. Arthur just shook his head. The other part of him wished they didn't, knowing full well that if they did, there would be more Order casualties than they expected.

"Quiet," he commanded. "Let's start taking a look around. The others should be in the building by now, and we need to do this quickly. If we linger too long our element of surprise will be gone." The group nodded in agreement and followed after Arthur as he made his way to the massive door that led into the main hallway of the manor. Ulias opened the door as quietly as he could and Arthur stepped, wand first, out into the hallway. There was nothing there and he motioned for the others follow him.

They continued out into the hallway and started to find their way through the spacious place, Bill and Charlie taking up the rear as their father led the small group. Charlie heard a small sound coming from one of the smaller corridors and nudged his brother. Bill looked back and saw Charlie duck into the hallway. With a curse and a final look at the group that continued on without them, Bill followed his sibling.

"Charlie! What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" he asked harshly. "The group's gone on without us."

"I heard something down this way…" Charlie answered. Bill frowned.

"It was probably a sodding mouse," he said. Charlie looked at him over his shoulder.

"Or a Death Eater," he said before continuing on. Bill cursed again, but raised his wand slightly higher in readiness. He lengthened his stride and pushed his way by Charlie.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Taking the lead," Bill answered. Charlie frowned.

"Why? Because you're older? Haven't we grown past that little row?" he asked. Bill rolled his eyes.

"Not because I'm older, because I'm better at deflection spells," he said. Charlie opened his mouth to reply but found he couldn't argue with his brother's point. Instead, he raised his wand a little higher as well and followed after Bill. They came to another room that had a rickety stairway leading to the next level. The room itself was empty and the two brothers looked at each other.

"Told you it was a mouse," Bill told Charlie.

"The noise was definitely louder than a mouse," Charlie replied. He then looked to the stairs. "Shall we?" Bill looked questioningly at the dilapidated wood. He didn't really trust anything in this place, but the stairs did look sturdy enough for him and Charlie to ascend. He stepped forward to be the first on the stairs and there was an eerie creak as he stepped. He took another step and there was an even eerier noise. Then, with the third step closer to the stairs there was a loud crash and Bill Weasley was no longer in front of his brother.

"Bill!" Charlie cried as he saw the gaping hole in the floor. In mansions like these, a fall to the next floor could easily be fatal and the younger Weasley scrambled to the edge of the hole and tried to see through the dust and dirt that now hung in the air.

"Bill?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly.

"I'm alright, Charlie," Bill's voice came back. Relief flooded through Charlie as his brother's voice wafted up through the mess.

"Avada Kedavra," a familiar voice from behind Charlie said. Every nerve ending froze as the two words were spoken. But instead of the spell hitting Charlie, there was a loud thud of a body hitting the ground. When he turned, he saw his father holding his wand in front of him and staring at the fallen Death Eater.

"Charlie!" Bill's panicked voice called back. He'd heard the Killing Curse and a body hit the floor. Charlie let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm fine. Dad just took out a baddie," he said. Arthur Weasley looked up at his son, his face whiter than it usually was.

"I haven't said that spell since I was a young man," he said, still slightly shaken at having used the Unforgivable for the first time in years. Charlie stood and went to his father.

"You saved my life. I'd think that counts for something," he said. Arthur smiled, but it quickly turned to a scolding frown.

"You need to watch your back, Charles. If I hadn't happened by, you would be dead," he said gruffly. Charlie turned to point to the hole.

"Well, Bill decided he wanted to go take a look see in the basement. I had to make sure the over-eager prat was okay," he said. Arthur looked pained for a moment as he looked at the hole and then looked at Charlie.

"You know you have to watch out for yourself first. This is not a game. If you are in a situation, you find your own way out. Is that clear?" he asked. Charlie swallowed. He hadn't been subject to Arthur's lectures since he was a teenager. Regardless how he felt about the raid policy, Charlie nodded. Arthur's shoulders dropped.

"Good. Bill?" he addressed the hole in the floor. There was a snap of air and the other Weasley appeared next to his brother.

"Already found my way out, thanks," he said. Arthur gave him a stern look. Bill sighed.

"Yeah, Dad. I got it," he said. The two brothers shared a look as they followed their father out of the room. They wouldn't mention that Arthur himself had subjected himself to danger by saving Charlie. They were sure their father wouldn't appreciate his own words being used against him.

"Ulias and the others have already come across three Death Eaters. Be prepared for more," Arthur warned. Bill and Charlie tightened their grips on their wands and mentally prepared themselves for battle.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Elsewhere in the mansion…_

Remus Lupin had never feared the Unforgivable curses. It was why Dumbledore had hired him on Defense Against the Dark Arts professor years ago. In fact, the one in their group that had been the most resistant to using those particular curses had, surprisingly, been Sirius Black. The rebel of the group had been unable to rebel that far. In had been James who had been the first to breach that subconscious hesitance to use the Killing Curse. But then, he'd had a wife – and then a son – to protect. Remus, the straight-laced one, had known the technical aspects of such curses for years but had held himself back. But that had been more out of respect for them than fear of them. Now, he threw the curse without a moment's thought.

"Avada Kedavra," he said. The green light had caught two Death Eaters. One fell to ground, dead. The other, who had not had the full effect of the spell, fell to the ground in complete agony. Remus repeated his words to relieve himself of the Death Eater's screaming. He felt no remorse at the pain the dark robed figure had endured. These people were ultimately responsible for James and Lily's murder – even if it was years too late to be an adequate payback. These people killed muggles, squibs and wizards alike for reasons that Remus himself could never understand.

He heard other struggles taking place elsewhere in the mansion and could only hope that the others were as successful as he had been. Never would he have thought he'd hear as many curses on a given day, but then, war had yet to truly break out. Today would pale in comparison, he was sure. A sudden clamoring snapped Remus back to attention and he pointed his wand at the door in preparation.

"Professor Lupin," an out of breath Angelina Johnson called to him as she ran into the room. He lowered his wand.

"What happened?" he asked as he took in the blood covering her cheek. He assumed there was more, but the black of her robes camouflaged it.

"We were caught by six or seven Death Eaters. They're taken care of, but one of the spells caused the ceiling to collapse. Fred Weasley is caught under the rusted chandelier. He's… he's bleeding pretty bad," she said. Remus' eyes went wide before he swept by the girl.

"Ruddy little bastard. He's not supposed to be here," he growled. Angelina hurried after him as they ran towards one of the large rooms that, once upon a time, used to be opulent and full of grandeur. Two members of the Order knelt next to the fallen form of Fred Weasley as the other four kept careful watch. Remus parted the two and knelt down next to the redhead. He took stock of the situation and could see that the heavy metal of the chandelier had been in as good of shape as the rest of the manor. A broken end of the fixture had pierced Fred in the lower abdomen.

"'Lo, Remus… come to join the party?" Fred's voice said, as strong and full of humor as ever. Remus laid a hand on the other man's shoulder.

"We'll get you out of here, Fred. Worry not," he said, nodding for two other Order members to join them..

"Oh, I'm not worried. Ginny and Mum are quite good at healing charms," he said. Remus gave the redhead a wry smile.

"Yes, but they're not here at the moment, are they?" he asked. Fred grimaced.

"And they'd more'n'likely skin my hide rather than heal me," he said. Remus' smile became genuine.

"And you'd more'n'likely deserve every hex they throw at you," he said before sobering. "Now, Fred, we're going to have to lift this off of you. It's probably going to hurt a bugger." Fred nodded.

"Get it done," he said. Remus nodded to the four people who took a hold of the chandelier. With a quick count of three, they lifted and freed Fred from the metal. Remus and Angelina, with a bit of help from Fred himself, pulled the redhead from under the metal and immediately put pressure on the bleeding wound. Remus looked to the two other members standing guard.

"Go find Arthur," he commanded. Fred groaned.

"Tell him I'm sorry… and tell Mum and George they can't hate me forever for putting a sleeping draught in their tea…" With that, his head rolled to the side and his eyes closed. Angelina sucked in a breath. Remus took a hold of the young man's wrist and let out a sigh of relief.

"He's just passed out. But we've got to get him out of here," Remus said. There was a thundering sound of what he assumed to be running feet. Angelina stayed on the floor with Fred as the rest of their group stood, wands drawn. They were lowered when Arthur Weasley, along with Bill and Charlie, were the first to round the corner into the room.

"Frederick Weasley!" Arthur bellowed. Remus shook his head.

"He's beyond hearing, Arthur. Best save the recriminations for later," he said. Bill shook his head at his younger brother.

"Bloody idiot. Mum's going to have his head on a platter," he said. Charlie nodded.

"If not in pieces. How's he doing?" he asked Angelina.

"He's still bleeding. I'm not sure what's injured," she said. Arthur knelt down and muttered a quick spell before looking up at his two sons.

"I've dealt enough with you ruffians to know how to stop bleeding. But it's not going to hold very long. We need to get him to a healer," he said. Tonks stood just behind Charlie.

"Well, we've cleared out the grounds," she said.

"And we've cleared out the manor," Mad-Eye added gruffly. "If we're going to move him, now's the time, before reinforcements decide to show up…"

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Malfoy Manor…_

"Master Malfoy, sir, there's been a raid…" one of his fellow Death Eaters announced. Lucius stood quickly, panic flaring slightly in his silver eyes. He hadn't expected the attack to come this quickly. He hadn't had time to inform the Dark Lord just yet, his time with Warrington preventing him from doing so. Voldemort would be less than pleased to find out that he had known about a planned attack beforehand and hadn't said anything. Hopefully, the Dark Lord would take into account that Lucius had only found out the day before…

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Elsewhere…_

Voldemort knew. He may not have been at the mansion at the time of the raid, but he knew. He could feel all the death and he could feel his power wane slightly as those under his command were suddenly no more. And he was angry. He was _very_ angry.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Hogwarts..._

"Ahhh," Harry cried, a hand going to his scar. Ron and Hermione looked up in concern, along with the rest of the students sitting in their common room.

"Harry," Hermione whispered furiously. "What's wrong?" The searing pain caused him to see white spots as he tried to look at the girl.

"My... scar..." he said weakly. Ron frowned as he came to his friend's side.

"I thought you had gotten better at blocking all that out," he said. Harry nodded.

"I have... but..." he started, but Hermione put a hand over his mouth.

"Not here... remember what McGonagall said," she noted. Harry nodded and she removed her hand. Ron and Hermione both helped him to stand.

"So sorry mate, to have hit you like that..." Ron said, his voice carrying slightly. Hermione beamed at him at his moment of ingenius.

"Yes, let's get you to Madame Pomfrey for a quick pain potion and you should be put back to rights," she said. Harry smirked at the subterfuge, a hand still held to his forehead. The Trio exited the common room and rather than heading down the stairs towards the medical wing, they took a detour to where Hermione's private room was located. Once the door closed behind them, she turned her concerned gaze back to Harry, who had slumped into a chair.

"Why do you think your scar is hurting?" she asked. Harry shook his head as he massaged the welt.

"I don't know... but Voldemort is angry. _Furious_," he said. Ron frowned.

"What would he have to be in a twist about? It's not as if we're doing anything. And if one of his Death Eaters has displeased him, you shouldn't be feeling that. You haven't in the past," he noted. Harry nodded in agreement.

"I know," he said. There was silence between the three as they thought. Then Harry sat up straight as a logical conclusion worked its way out. "Maybe he has found Professor Snape out..." Hermione frowned.

"But Professor Snape is here. I saw him going to the dungeons earlier," she said. Harry shook his head.

"It would explain a lot of things, actually. My meetings with Dumbledore have been tense and Snape has actually missed a few lessons. Whenever I ask where he's been, they both tell me to mind my lessons. Voldemort has been quiet as of late. No attacks on muggle-borns or the like. And if Dumbledore and McGonagall think there is a traitor... well, maybe they found out Snape is a member of the Order," he speculated.

"That would make sense," Hermione said. "Do you think we should let Dumbledore know about this?" Ron sat back on Hermione's bed and watched as the busy-haired girl paced.

"Ol' Snapey is a big boy. He can take care of himself. And who's to say Dumbledore doesn't already know. That man and his lemon drops know more than we'd ever hope to," he said, flexing his fingers behind his head. Hermione looked between the two boys.

"Do you think the Order is up to something?" she asked.

"Without telling us?" Ron asked. "Not bloody likely. Harry is their ace in the pocket. Besides, he already knows about the planned offensive. They wouldn't do anything without letting him know." Harry looked miserably to his lap.

"They've kept things from me in the past," he reminded them. Then he looked up, meeting his friends' gaze. "I think it may be time to re-gather the DA..."

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

It was almost dinnertime and Draco exited his private rooms to start his way down to the Great Hall. After Ginny had made it back to Gryffindor the night before, Draco had gone in search of Professor Snape to discuss Warrington's actions. The potions professor had been in his office when Draco had arrived, but he had been about to leave. The discussion hadn't been lengthy, but Severus had certainly been angered enough to ruin three vials of Confundious Potion that Draco's own potions class had worked hard on. He then told Draco that he would discuss it with Professor Dumbledore the very next day. It had been enough to satisfy Draco at the moment.

Then, he'd gone back to his room and fell asleep on pillows that still held the scent of apples. He'd had a peculiar dream that night… He'd dreamt of a tall, messy-haired man with spectacles and a beautiful, green-eyed woman with dark-red hair. They seemed familiar, but Draco couldn't quite place them. Then he watched as the strange woman huddled protectively around a small, dark-haired child. He could have sworn there had been a horrible scream, but he didn't dwell it long as that same woman had suddenly dissolved into an image of Ginny. She, too, was huddling protectively around a small child. He had cried out a warning, for no reason that he could think of, and had felt a strong urge to protect them from an unseen danger. Just as Ginny had echoed the other woman's scream, Draco had sat straight up in bed, wide awake and sweating.

Now, it was the next day and he hadn't heard a thing from either his Head of House or the Headmaster about what had been done with Warrington, nor had he any clue as to what the dream had meant. Frustration boiled just below his exhausted surface as he turned from the dungeon hallways and met up with Goyle and Blaise.

"Oy, Draco. Off to dinner?" Blaise asked. Draco nodded, too tired to come up with anything more pleasant for a greeting.

"Has Warrington been back to the common room at all since last night?" he asked. Blaise shook his head.

"No. I've kept watch for him. And he hasn't been seen since early yesterday afternoon," he said.

"Do you suppose he's been expelled?" Goyle asked. Draco shook his head.

"If he hasn't been back, he can't have been booted out," he said. The three boys quieted their conversation as they joined the throng of student from other houses as they made their way to dinner. Just as Draco noticed a telltale red head, there was a screech from the ceiling. All students looked up at the sound to see a great eagle owl circling above their heads. With a might swoop and an elegant flutter of wings, the owl settled itself on Draco's shoulder and dropped the missive in his hands. There was only one person the letter could have been from. All eyes were on him as he looked at the heavy, expensive parchment. With a brutal glare at them, he turned on his heel and headed back towards the dungeons. It would be best if he opened this letter on his own. Who knew what his father had in store for him?

Rather than wait until he reached his room, he tore open the seal and began to read it on his way.

_I know who it is you've been spending your time with, boy.  
__It would be in their best interest if you chose to meet me of your own free will._

Draco stopped walking and stared at the well-known writing. His father certainly didn't fear anything, as evidenced by the blatant arrival of this letter. With a sigh, Draco slipped the family signet ring out of the envelope. His father had quite obviously arranged a portkey to his location. Draco read over the words again and knew that Lucius was not bluffing. He knew about Ginny. Draco's heartbeat quickened significantly at the threat his father posed to her. His choice was quite clear.

With a deep breath, Draco put the ring on his finger. There was that first sickening tug at his navel that signified the beginning of a portkey trip. Before he knew it, he was standing in the study at Malfoy Manor.

"Ah, Draco," his father's voice greeted. "How good of you to come…" Draco turned to see Lucius sitting behind the massive oak desk. It was a position that the elder Malfoy liked to take in order to intimidate adult and child alike. Draco knew that well enough.

"I don't believe I had a choice in the matter," he said. Lucius smiled.

"I suppose it centered around whether you thought there was a choice to begin with," he said, amused at his son's words. Draco's gaze slipped to the person standing behind his father. He was surprised to see Warrington, yet he wasn't. He was more surprised at the fact that his father had taken the chance to return to Malfoy Manor once more. But Draco supposed he'd received his own arrogance and conceit from someone…

"I see you've found a replacement son," he commented, coming to a stop in front of the impressive desk. Lucius looked back to the other boy with a smirk.

"He _is_ fulfilling the Malfoy expectations more so than you are," he said, looking back at his son. Draco shrugged.

"It's probably for the best that he be your son. His career at Hogwarts is about to end prematurely and he'll need someone to answer to… he's not really good for anything else," he said. Warrington's eyes narrowed in hatred and anger at the implication. But Lucius only smiled.

"Ah yes… the Weasley girl…" he said, clasping his hands behind his back. "That incident has gone a long way in proving quite a few theories correct." Draco's face remained emotionless, even though he wanted to Avada Kedavra his father so badly his fingers twitched.

"What do theories matter when things are going to blow up in your face before you know it?" Draco asked. Warrington's eyebrows rose in surprise at Draco's acerbic response to his father. Only the Malfoy heir would dare speak in such a way to his father. Anyone else would have been dead. Even then, death was a close thing, as evidenced by the clenching of Lucius Malfoy's jaw. But the older man surprised both younger wizards by laughing. In all of Draco's seventeen years, he had never heard his father laugh in a way that was not dark of purpose.

"Your confidence is amusing," Lucius said.

"Apparently," Draco commented. Lucius came out from behind his desk and clasped his hands behind his back.

"Yes, it is amusing, but very much misplaced. My boy, things are turning our way. You are just unaware of the change. We know that Snape is a traitor, we know it was he who planned the raid against us, we know that Dumbledore has had Potter secluded away in his office practicing the Dark Arts, we know that you have plans of your own in the works… there isn't all that much that we do _not_ know at this juncture," Lucius said. "You have always prided yourself on your self-preservation, Draco. And this newly acquired concern for others… Well… I have a proposition for you that will satisfy both ideals." Draco straightened his shoulders in wait of his father's idea of a solution.

"You will join the Death Eaters of your own free will. Naturally, you will not be looked upon with such high hopes as you once would have been… but that is neither here nor there. Once you have the Dark Mark, your own life will be preserved… and that of Miss Weasley. Snape, unfortunately, will be forfeit. He willingly gave his life to the Death Eaters. He has betrayed us and he must die…" Lucius said. Warrington almost looked gleeful. It was ironic that it was the expression that he would have worn had he simply let the life given to him direct his future. Draco swallowed. He knew that his father had him exactly where he wanted him. Warrington stepped forward as the blond contemplated his decision. "Do you know who all of my supporters are?" Draco sneered at the other Slytherin.

"If I knew, don't you think this wouldn't be happening right now?" he asked. Warrington smirked.

"Then I'd seriously think about it, if I were you. Right now, your little Gryffindor Princess is at Hogwarts, walking the hallways thinking she is safe among her friends," he said. Then he smiled an ugly smile. "And the best part is, she never would have been in any danger if you'd just stayed away from her." Draco arched a brow. He didn't believe that for more than a few moments.

"And let you do what you want? I don't think so," he said.

"Always have to be contrary to me, don't you, Malfoy?"

"I believe that would be the other way around, Warrington," Draco said. Lucius clucked his tongue in disappointment, stopping the retort before Warrington could utter it.

"Still squabbling, even here. Draco, I'd think you'd grown beyond that. And you, Cole. If you wish to be my sponsor in the Dark Lord's favor, I suggest you mind your mouth," he said, turning back to the desk. Draco did not miss the malicious look the other boy threw to his father. He didn't know whether to be concerned or amused at the state of affairs in front of him. Lucius had betrayed his master's orders in leaving his son alive and was now trying to absolve that by blackmailing Draco into the ranks. The information his father was using for such purposes had been given to him by a Slytherin sixth year who would rather see the Malfoy line die a fiery death and take the coveted spot as Voldemort's most favored. Amusement won as he let out a small chuckle. Lucius turned and looked at him.

"Do you find something funny, Draco?" he asked. Draco stood straight out of habit at his father's tone, but the smirk remained.

"I do, actually, yes. I find it funny that I never noticed before how entirely fucked up all of this was. Here you two are, allies under the Dark Lord, yet you plot against each other even as you work together," he noted. He had the satisfaction of seeing both Lucius and Warrington check the other out of the corner of their eyes. Before they could say anything, Draco took out his wand and looked at his father. He'd known the portkey had been one-way.

"You'll have my decision tonight," he said before he apparated away. His father's face had been smug and the last look he'd seen on Warrington's face had been one of uncertainty. Draco didn't care, though. Let them kill each other…

The wind bit at him as he arrived at the lake. For a moment, he just stood, not looking at anything.

"Draco?" a voice called to him. He took a deep breath and turned to the person who had been waiting for him.

"Are you alright?" Goyle asked. Draco nodded once. Images from the previous night's dream ran through his head once more.

"Yes. Everything will be fine. We should get back to the castle," he said. The two started to walk back, but the blond stopped. Draco looked at Goyle. "I'll be doing something worthy of Potter…" The larger boy frowned. Something wasn't right…

"What's that?" he asked. Draco looked out over the lake. He needed to see Ginny.

"Protecting her from myself."

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

The walk back to Gryffindor Tower the night before had been hard. She wasn't sure, exactly, what had happened between falling asleep and waking up to cause Draco to become so… Draco. If she were honest with herself, though, she knew that Draco wasn't going to be sweetness and light – even after everything they had shared. Anyone who thought he would be such a thing needed to be locked away in St. Mungos.

Ginny was sure that the calm, determined exterior had had something to do with the large boy who had followed her back to Gryffindor. She knew he had been there because he had made sure she knew he was there. And after the events of earlier that evening, she'd been relieved that Draco had thought of it. The fact that he'd done that and that he hadn't merely shrugged her off kept the panic at bay. But there was something dark looming around them and Ginny hesitated in trying to name it. She'd rather just bask in the unknowing excitement that a new relationship brought.

With that, she flopped onto her back and looked up at the clouds. The sun was just beginning to send evening colors into the late autumn sky and she let her mind wander from the homework she had come outside to do. Thinking about Draco seemed to be a new favorite pastime. And today had been no exception.

She would have loved to have woken up in his arms. But she knew she couldn't expect too much. He was Draco Malfoy, for Merlin's sake. And Ginny was sure that he had much more going on inside that head of his than just her. And it made her feel guilty. She should be thinking about so much more as well. There were important things that needed attending to like the impending war, and Harry's well-being, her family's safety, and the Order of the Phoenix. Instead, she just wanted to curl up in the dungeons with Draco and pretend that the world didn't exist outside of the two of them.

Ginny supposed that this is what it felt like to be in love. It was unsettling to know that she hadn't felt even remotely like this before… not even with Harry. She let out a deep sigh as she looked down at the blank paper and the quill that had hovered over it for nearly an hour. It was going to get dark soon and dinner was going to be called. She figured she would skive off the noisy meal and work in an empty library. It would give her the concentration she so badly needed. With the task in mind, Ginny collected her things and stood.

"Hey, Ginny!" Colin Creevey's voice called to her. "Did you hear?" Ginny looked to her friend with a smile as he ran up to join her.

"Hear what, Colin?" she asked. He grinned at her.

"Dumbledore's allowed us go to Hogsmeade this weekend!" he exclaimed. Ginny chuckled at his enthusiasm… and the fact that it was only Monday.

"That's great," she said. Suddenly, Colin looked uncomfortable.

"Umm, you want to go with me?" he asked. Ginny smiled and looped her arm through his, heading back towards the castle.

"I'd love to Colin, but I might be stuck doing a Transfiguration paper," she said. Actually, she was hoping that a blond Slytherin would want to see her. The boy in front of her shrugged.

"That's okay. I was just wondering," he said, but she could tell he was more disappointed than he let on. Feeling guilty, she looped her arm through his.

"If that changes, you will be the first to know, okay?" she asked. Colin's disappointed look was replaced with a smile.

"And if all else fails… it's Professor McGonagall…" he said. "We're in her House, she won't be too hard on you." Ginny rolled her eyes and pushed him away from her.

"Thanks so much, Col. For that, I take leave of your presence," she said.

"Aw, Gin," Colin complained. The redhead shook her head.

"I've got work to do in the library. And if you want a chance of me being able step foot outside this castle this weekend, you'd let me without complaint," she said. Colin grinned as he held up his hands.

"Work away, my Princess," he said. Ginny just chuckled and rolled her eyes at the common nickname everyone in Hogwarts seemed to bestow upon her.

"I'll see you later, Creevey," she said with a wave. She ran up the front hall stairs and was surprised to see the hallways mostly empty. It was just before dinner and the weather was beginning to cool significantly now that they were well on their way to winter. With a sigh, she turned down the hallway that led to the library. She hadn't lied to Colin earlier about the Transfiguration paper. It was one of the subjects she did well in, but that didn't mean it made the assigned papers any easier. It would be better if she got a start on it earlier in the week rather than try to write it all over the weekend like some students – mainly her brother and Harry.

She shifted her book bag on her shoulder and increased her pace. The sooner she got to the library, the sooner she could get back to Gryffindor Tower and maybe get in a game of chess with her brother. He'd been begging her for a re-match since the last time she actually managed to beat him.

Her smile at the thought slipped and her shoulders tensed. There was a presence behind her as she approached the library doors, but she wasn't afraid. He was close enough that she could catch a slight scent of his pricey cologne and it made her smile. With a quick, half-glance over her shoulder, Ginny walked right by the library and turned the next corner. When Draco rounded the corner, she grabbed his tie with a healthy smirk and pulled him to her. His smirk rivaled hers.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say there was a snake following me," she said, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"You should know better," he said before lowering his mouth to hers. They both relaxed in each other's arm as if they had been waiting for this embrace all day. Ginny pulled him closer and let her back rest against the hard, stone wall. Despite the boy who was holding her and kissing her, it was that coolness against her back that reminded her… Her eyes went wide and she pulled away from the kiss.

"Gin… what…" he started, but recognized the fear in her eyes. With a curse, Draco tightened his arms around her as he twisted them around. He held her tightly against his chest as he leaned back against the stone. He could feel her trembling as he ran soft hands over her back, but when she looked up at him, her eyes were still dry.

"I… I'm sorry… I just… forgot," she said. Draco's hand came up to run over her cheek.

"It's good to know that I can be such a distraction," he said. Ginny chuckled as she rested her cheek against his chest and let him hold her.

"I'd agree with you, but your ego is already large enough to be considered a separate country," she said.

"Yes, well, I'll call it Draconia," he said haughtily. Her laughter was muffled by his robes.

"By all the gods, I don't know what I'd be without you here," she said. "Probably a watery mess…" Draco's eyes were locked on the opposite wall. _You'd be safer…_ But he shook himself from the thought as he reached down with a long finger and tilted her chin up so he could look at her.

"Have you talked to anyone about it?" he asked, concern for her in his eyes. "Granger, maybe?" Ginny shook her head.

"I can't talk about that with her. She'd tell Harry and Ron under the guise of it being for my safety… and well… you know how Ron gets. I'd prefer to keep my brother out of Azkaban for murder, thank you," she said, leaning into him once more.

"How about Madame Pomfrey or Professor McGonagall… surely it would help if you talked to someone about it," he commented. Ginny shook her head again.

"No… I'd prefer not to, I think. I'll be okay. By the end of the day, Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore will know about it and take care of it. That will be enough. I don't want all of Hogwarts to know how weak I am…" she said. This time Draco firmly gripped her chin and made her look directly at him, her brown eyes locked on his.

"You… are not… weak," he said, his voice harsh. "There are those of us who are far weaker than you are and would give anything for just the slightest bit of your strength. And the fact that Warrington has reduced you to thinking the opposite makes me wish I had killed him." When he released her chin, she brought her hand up to touch his pale cheek.

"Maybe you and Ron can share a cell in Azkaban, then," she said on a sigh. "It would cut my visiting time in half…"

"Right… and after, you may as well plan to attend a funeral because one of us will be dead," he told her with a grimace. Ginny smirked.

"I don't know… maybe you'd become mates," she said. The grimace on his face turned more pronounced.

"Mind your tongue, Gryffindor…" he growled. Ginny giggled slightly before she stood on her toes and placed a kiss on his lips. When she pulled back, his eyes were smoky. It made her feel all tingly that she was able to affect the Slytherin Prince that way.

"So…" she said. "I'm curious. I know you said you hated Harry. But who, exactly, do you hate more? Harry or Ron or Hermione?" Draco was surprised at the question. He'd figured her for more the type to avoid such a question, especially with all the hexing, hard words, and family history.

"I hate them all equally…" he said. Ginny smiled up at him.

"I doubt that," she said. Draco rolled his eyes.

"I hate them more when they're all together, really… The Golden Trio… The Saviors of Hogwarts…" he admitted but not without his trademark sneer. "Why do you want to know, anyway?" Ginny shrugged.

"Just curious, really. Besides, Hermione knows about us and you haven't…well… you know…" she said. Draco smiled then.

"Threatened her with dismemberment?" he asked. Ginny gave him a look.

"Not precisely that, but still… it made me wonder as to whom you actually disliked more," she said. Draco shrugged, but decided to change the subject rather than answer her question. He really didn't know the answer and he wasn't sure he wanted to dwell on that fact.

"Since you've trusted Granger with that particularly volatile secret and she hasn't blabbed to Pothead or Weasel King, don't you think you can trust her if you wanted to talk about Warrington?" he asked.

"Touché," she noted, turning away from him. He frowned as she stepped away and he immediately reached out to take her hand. His frown deepened when he realized that he seemed to have abandoned his long-standing policy on the physical affection that he would allow since he'd first kissed her. But as she curled her fingers around his, Draco realized that he wanted to touch her and for her to touch him. Rather than continue on talking though, he wanted to kiss her again. And so, he pulled her close. She raised an eyebrow at him, as amused by his mood as he was annoyed by it. But it did please him that she seemed to have adopted a few of his mannerisms since they started… this… But rather than say anything about it, he caught her lips with his. Her arms wound their way around his neck as she fused her body to his. Things were starting to get heated when a sound alerted them to another presence. The only part of them that separated was their lips. Their arms still clung to the other.

"Someone's coming," she said, her forehead leaning against his a they both caught their breath. Draco wanted to say bugger them, let whoever it is find out, but he knew he couldn't. Instead, he ran his hands down from her shoulders to her hips, taking note of each curve and dip. He wanted more time with her; he wanted to be able to tell her how much he cared for her and he wanted to be able to hold her more than these small moments had allowed. Instead, he stood up straight and held her shoulders in his hands.

"You'd better go," he said. Ginny smiled up at him, unaware of the double meaning behind his words.

"I _am_ supposed to be doing homework," she said. Then she stepped close to him and gave him one more quick, heated kiss before picking up her discarded book bag and starting back down the hall. Draco watched her go for only a moment before he, too, made his way down the opposite hall. He had an owl to send.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_St. Mungos…_

"… ever again! Do you hear me? You are very lucky that I don't take a switch to you right here and now!" Molly Weasley roared. All Weasley males present – patient included – cowered under the thunderous anger.

"But Mum…" Fred started. Molly's brown eyes were almost molten as she turned to glare at her son.

"Don't you 'but Mum' me, Frederick Weasley. If there was ever a time I'd harm a child of mine, now would be it," she said. Fred pulled the sheets up to his chin. Molly sighed as she turned to Arthur, Bill, Charlie and George.

"You'd best send for Ron and Ginny. They'll want to know of this," she said. Fred sat up straight and winced as it pulled at his healing wound.

"Now, hang on," he said. "Ron and Ginny don't need to be disturbed. I'll be fine in just a couple of days. They'll be able to see me then." Molly snorted.

"I want them to come see that their bloody idiot of a brother is all in one piece so they don't worry," she said. Fred knew that there was more to Molly Weasley than that. She would use this as an excuse to launch into lecture mode at all the available Weasley offspring. He would spare his two youngest siblings that if he could. He gave a beseeching look to his father.

"Now, Molly. It's the middle of the night. If we go drag Ginny and Ron from their beds, they'll think something serious has happened," Arthur said. Molly whirled around to look at her husband.

"And this isn't serious?" she screeched. Arthur swallowed hard, but he held his ground.

"I'm not saying this isn't serious. I'm just saying that all is mostly right now, dearest. It is late, and let Ron and Ginny sleep. Plus, Fred needs his sleep as well," he said. Molly stood rigid for a moment, but then her mothering instincts kicked in. In a flurry, she was at Fred's side and tucking him into the blankets as well as fluffing his pillows.

"Now, get your sleep. I want to see a rested Weasley when morning comes," she said sweetly. The rest of the family let out a sigh of relief. The storm that was the Weasley matriarch was over for the moment.

"Aw, Mum. Stop your fussing," Fred grumbled. Molly pinched his arm and gave him a look.

"I'll fuss if I want to, Fred. After what you've put me through tonight, I'd think your complaining would be at a minimum," she said. Fred stopped his thrashing and let her continue her ministrations.

"Yes, Mum. Sorry," he said. Molly nodded once in agreement.

"Yes, well, you'll be sorrier later," she said. Fred let out a sigh, his creative imagination coming up with all sorts of punishments that his mother could resort to.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**


	13. Part XIII

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Three days later…_

Winter had finally hit Hogwarts… and harder than expected. The snow itself was a few days late according to the calendar, but it had made up for it with the extra cold wind and dangerous ice. Students were stuck inside during breaks and all Quidditch practices postponed until the weather lightened. But still, every student was looking forward to the Hogsmeade visit the coming weekend. Neither snow nor ice or cutting winds were going to keep the Hogwarts populace from leaving school grounds for the fist time in weeks.

In that time, Ron and Ginny had been allowed to go home to see their brother. The fact that Fred and George were continuing on with their jokester ways and they were spending Fred's prescribed bed rest dreaming up new products for their store told all who visited that Fred was on the mend. In fact, he'd been in such a creative mood that he couldn't help but elaborate, with George's help, on the story concocted to ease their younger siblings worries.

"It was all a series of accidents, really," Fred started, a captive audience sitting on his bed next to him.

"Oh, yes. Forge here was working on a new tripping chocolate. It would make the vict… er, consumer… trip over his own feet every third step…" George beamed. Fred looked suddenly uncomfortable.

"… seeing that Gred and I never aim to sell something we, ourselves, haven't tried out, I decided to take a taste. There was too much tripping agent and I happened to trip right into the old bookshelf we keep our finished potions on," he said.

"Fell right into the Weasley heirloom, he did…" George said. Ginny and Ron looked aghast at the statement. Molly Weasley was particular about how her borrowed treasures were treated. Bill hadn't been allowed home without a verbal lashing for nearly a month after he broke Grandmother Prewitt's bed.

"… Mum was quite angry about that as she didn't know we were using it in the shop…"

"… said that our family treasures were not meant to be blown up, broken, transformed or fell into…"

"… she'll skin my hide when I'm able to walk again…" Ginny and Ron started to look impatient at their brothers' tangent. George cleared his throat before continuing.

"Anyway, the potion I had been working on – an Opposite Potion – fell on Rutherford…" George said.

"… he's our pet mouse…" Fred interjected.

"So, our mouse turned into a cat, as the Opposite Potion is meant to do, and the cat goes off all startled…"

"The furry abomination knocked our completed Animation Potion onto one of our posed Cupid statues…"

"… a Valentine's project…"

"… and the arrow that was in its bow was animated and shot straight into me guts," Fred finished. Ron let out a snort at the story.

"With all those potions you two have come up with, you'd think that you would have received an 'O' in Potions," he said. Fred grinned.

"Yes, well, it _was_ our best subject…"

"Until we blew up our station, the station in front of us, _and_ Snape's desk in one shot…"

"He gave us a passing mark, banned us from the dungeons and vowed never to teach us again," Fred chuckled.

"Nor would we find jobs anywhere that required potion use," George said with a chuckle of his own. Ron got a thoughtful look on his face and Ginny slapped his arm.

"No. You and Harry will _not_ do any such thing," she scolded. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Aw, Gin," he started. But Ginny put her hands on her hips.

"I'll tell Mum you're considering such a thing. And since Fred almost got himself killed…" she paused and leveled a glare at her older brother. "… you can expect a howler sometime in the next few days." The door to the bedroom opened and Molly Weasley entered balancing a tray of what looked to be tea and soup.

"Who is expecting a howler?" she asked. Ron looked slightly panicked.

"Fred, of course, Mum," he said. Molly let out a huff as she approached her injured child.

"He'll be getting punishment enough for getting himself skewered," she said with a grumble. Then her face turned pleasant. "How's my little Fred?" Fred shifted in the bed and put a hand over his side.

"Hurts a right bit," he said miserably. Ron and Ginny both rolled their eyes.

"He was complaining a bit earlier, too, Mum. He needs a good rest," George supplied. Molly nodded as she set the tray over Fred's lap.

"And he'll be getting it to, after he has a spot of tea and some dinner," she said. Then she turned to her two youngest. "Fred needs his rest, loves. You'd best be getting back to school. Your father is waiting to take you." Ron groaned.

"Aw, Mum. We're old enough to find our way back," he said. Molly glared at him.

"I'll see you safe back to Hogwarts and there's to be no argument about it," she said. Ron gulped as he nodded, took Ginny's arm to lead her from the room and left their mother to fussing over Fred.

So, Ron and Ginny were able to return to Hogwarts with relieved minds. It wasn't every day that an experiment with their brothers ended up disastrously wrong. It all had come down to a long, silly story that ended in disaster, which wasn't totally out of character for the twins.

As they relayed the story to both Harry and Hermione, the bushy-haired girl couldn't help the snort of disbelieving laughter.

"That seems a bit far-fetched, don't you think?" she asked, although she couldn't help but be curious about all of the potions the Weasley siblings had mentioned. Ginny let out a laugh.

"It's Fred and George… everything they do seems a bit far-fetched," she said. Harry laughed.

"That's very true," he agreed. Hermione shook her head.

"Fred probably stabbed himself with a fork and had to come up with such an outlandish tale just to make it seem more exciting," she said.

"Fred has never stabbed himself with a fork. He stabs other people with them," Ron grumbled as he rubbed a phantom pain on his leg. Hermione sat down next to him and lightly pat his hand. Any other conversation was cut off as both Hedwig and a school owl flew into the common room. The school owl dropped a note into Ginny's hand just as Harry tore into his message.

"Oy, who's that from, Gin?" Ron asked. Hermione pat his hand again.

"It's none of your business, Ronald," she said to him. Ginny grinned at the other girl.

"Thank you, Hermione," she said. Ron frowned.

"I'm just curious, is all. If it were from family, Errol would have brought it. You don't get many letters from anyone else," he grumbled. Ginny frowned.

"Why, thank you, Ron, for pointing out my lack of a social existence…" she growled "I don't see you being curious over what Harry received."

"I didn't mean it that way, Gin. You're friends are all here and… bloody hell… I'll just shut my gob," he said. Hermione smiled at him.

"That would probably be best," she told him. Ginny counted the other girl's assistance among the minor miracles of the world. Only Hermione could get her brother to back down as easily as he had. With a giddy feeling, she opened the small note.

_Meet me by the lake – D_

Ginny smiled. It had been three whole days since they'd been able to see each other. With classes, the weather, and Fred nearly getting himself killed in some stupid stunt, it had been hard to see each other in the hallways much less meet each other anywhere. But now, classes were done for the day, dinner had been eaten and it seemed Draco had time on his hands. It was just their luck that she did as well. Without a sound, she stood and made her way to the girl's dormitory stairway. As she started her way up, a hand grabbed her arm.

"And where are you rushing off to?" Hermione asked. Ginny frowned.

"None of your business," she answered, shamelessly using the bushy-haired girl's earlier words against her. Hermione let out a sigh as she dragged Ginny fully back into the common room. With a look over her shoulder she could see that Harry and Ron were deep into a discussion. Hermione turned her attention back to the ginger haired girl.

"You're going to see him, aren't you?" the busy-haired girl asked. Ginny was silent for a second to try and deny it, but that was all the confirmation Hermione needed.

"Do you really think he loves me?" Ginny asked finally. Hermione opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. She wanted to scold her friend for not ending this thing with Draco Malfoy, but she couldn't help but remember what she'd said before to the girl. The Slytherin seemed to care about her friend in ways that he never seemed to care about anything else.

"Why does it matter so much?" she asked. Ginny shifted on her feet uncomfortably.

"I think I may love him," she said. Hermione's eyes went wide. All of this had been fine when Ginny had been in denial. The more she had denied, the more Draco had denied. And the more both of them had denied almost assured that this farce would end before Ron could have a coronary. But her friend was no longer denying. And Ron was going to have a coronary. It was inevitable…

"You love him…" she repeated. Ginny nodded miserably.

"I don't know what to do. Of all the people for me to be in love with, I never would have remotely thought of Draco Malfoy," she said. Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Are you going to tell him?" she asked. Ginny thought about that for a second. Then she squared her shoulders.

"Yes," she answered. Hermione nodded once.

"Good luck, then," she said with a small smile. Ginny smiled back.

"Thanks…" she said before rushing up to her dorm to grab her winter cloak. If she was going to tell Draco Malfoy – Prince of Slytherin, King of All Pratish Behavior, and Master of Everything Emotionless – that she loved him, she was going to need all the luck she could get.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

He wrapped his cloak closer around him as he waited. His father had his answer, and now, it was time to put things straight again. He had a plan… but in order for that plan to work, he needed to do one thing… _say_ one thing. With a sigh, he stared out at the lake. Draco didn't know what would happen when his plan was put into action, but he had to keep the people he cared about safe.

"Draco?" a soft voice asked, interrupting his internal musings. He turned his head to see Ginny approaching. He reached a pale, spidery hand out to take hers and pull her next to him to look out at the frozen lake. They stood like that for a moment as the cold winter wind swirled around them. It was about to get colder…

"I am taking the Mark," he said finally. Ginny paled at the words when it became clear what he had said. Suddenly, the darkness and gloom that she had felt around him made so much sense. A heavy silence fell between the two – Ginny struggling to find the words, and Draco not wanting to say any more.

"You are taking the Mark," she repeated, looking over at him. This was not the conversation she had been expecting. Not that she had been expecting much conversation with Draco to begin with after three full days of not seeing each other..

"Yes," he said, not looking at her. His face was calm and he gave her no indication that this was something he didn't want to do.

"Why?" she asked, internally willing him to look at her.

"I'm a Malfoy. It's expected of me," he said. Ginny shook her head, not understanding anything of this conversation.

"You're mistaken. Just because you're a Malfoy does not mean that you are meant to wear dark robes and a mask. I know you don't want to be a Death Eater. Why resign yourself to being one? Stand up for what's good in you," she said. Draco let out a dry laugh before he sobered again.

"I'm not noble, Ginevra," he growled. He still hadn't looked at her. "I'm certainly not brave. I'm a Slytherin. Our creed is pretty much ourselves before all others."

"Go away, then, Draco. Save yourself by leaving," she said, now clinging to his hand. "Then, when the time is right, come back. I'll come with you if you want me to." Draco shook his head and shook his hand free of hers.

"If I go anywhere, there will be no coming back until everything is settled." Ginny watched him as he paced and placed a hand on his arm when he finally stood still.

"But Draco… the war… certainly you…" she started. He glared at her, knowing exactly where that was headed.

"I can't be Potter!" he almost yelled, shocking Ginny to her toes. It was the last thing she expected him to say. After he had calmed, Draco turned and looked at her; he looked at the slim hand that lay on a sleeve of his robes.

"I don't want to be, in any case. But things will not be settled until I face my Father. Maybe even Voldemort himself. They will kill me if I don't take the Mark. In order for this to be finished, I will do what I have to do. I will not run," he said. His eyes held a sliver of surprised before they cooled over once more. He hadn't meant to tell her that much.

"I…" she started, but he cut her off.

"I can't change for you Ginny. I can't be something that I'm not capable of being. You want me to deny what I've been bred for. You want me to fight in this war; to be as brave and self-sacrificing as Harry bloody Potter. This war means nothing to me and if I have to sacrifice something to stay alive, I will do so. I told you, it is the Slytherin way. If you can't handle that, it's too bloody bad. Walk away now, before you get hurt. I don't _want_ to hurt you," he said, the cold winter wind making a beautiful mess of his usually perfect hair. He had just given her a choice, one he hadn't meant to give. But he wouldn't take it back. Ginny's gaze stayed locked on his cool, blue-gray eyes.

"I just don't want you to become something you're not," she said. "I never wanted you to change." There was a small twitch in Draco's cheek. Whether it was the beginning of a smile or a disbelieving sneer, Ginny would never know.

"You want me to say that I love you," he said, his face carrying his usual ice-cold expression. Ginny's hand slipped off the cold, rough material and she turned away from him, into the wind.

"I've had enough false 'I love yous' to know that I don't want another one. So no, Draco, I don't want you to say you love me. Not when you don't think you can," she said. Gray eyes looked to the frozen ground. He'd never imagined he could ever get to this point.

_I want to…_ "I can't," he said, looking up. The wind bit hard at Ginny's winter-reddened cheeks. She let herself believe that it was the severe chill that caused her eyes to water. He was watching her, she could feel his stare. But she didn't turn. If she did, Ginny knew she'd run into his arms and it simply wouldn't do for her to plead. So instead, she nodded once and covertly wiped the one tear that had escaped from her face. She would not let him see her pain, not when he wouldn't let her know his.

"I never once wanted you to be Harry," she said finally, shocking him to the core. "I just wanted you." Still, she didn't turn. After a moment, Ginny started walking towards the school. Her legs felt heavy – a protest of their own accord. Walking away was the hardest thing she'd ever done. She could have said she'd be with him, no matter what. She could have said the Dark Mark wouldn't matter. But her heart would never be able to survive if she had to watch him destroy himself. It was what would happen in the end, no matter what. She could love him, but she couldn't love the black skull and snake branded onto him when the time came. Ginny Weasley did not want a hero, not anymore… she wanted a man. And the second the Dark Mark touched… stained… _marred_ Draco Malfoy's beautifully pale skin, he would cease to be a man. He would be a slave to whatever darkness he had decided to answer.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Oblivious to the winds raging outdoors, Ron and Hermione sat in the library in a somewhat uncomfortable silence. Harry had left them to themselves a little while ago in order to serve a typically unwarranted detention with Professor Snape. She sat up straight and diligently attended her Arithmancy homework as she occasionally glanced at Ron, who was slouched in his chair and doodling on his parchment.

"This is so pointless. When am I going to use Arithmancy in the real world? Honestly. I don't see myself in a life or death Auror situation or flying around the Quidditch Pitch in the World Cup wondering if I remembered to carry the three," he grumbled, throwing his quill down on the bemoaned subject's textbook. Hermione let out a sigh. It was their seventh and last year at Hogwarts, yet Ron Weasley continued to make light about his studies. It was the last straw.

"You're smart, Ron. You just won't let yourself be. It's important that you do well in your N.E.W.T.S this year. Especially to get into Auror training. I don't see why you continually have to make jokes about your education and your future. I don't see why you have to make things so hard," she said, slamming her books shut and pushing her chair back. Something in him told Ron that Hermione was talking about more than just school. Just as she made her way around the table, Ron had stood as well. When she was about to sweep by him, he took hold of her arm.

"Hermione…" he started. Her troubled eyes looked up at him, waiting for him to continue. But instead, on an unusually confident whim, he ducked his head down and kissed her.

Hermione's eyes went wide at the contact. Of all the things for him to say and do, this was the least expected. Her books fell to the ground, unbidden, as she settled into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. Hermione closed her eyes as she realized that the boy she'd loved ever since she'd haughtily told him he had dirt on his nose was finally kissing her.

"What are you two doing?" Madame Pince's voice startled them out of the kiss. She glared at the pile of books sitting on the floor. Ron and Hermione stepped away from each other and shared a look. The dropped books must have alerted the stuffy librarian.

"We're just leaving, actually," Hermione said in a steadier voice than she felt she had. Madame Pince gave her a dark look.

"Then be on your way," she said, glaring once more at Ron. Hermione nodded and knelt down to collect the books. Ron helped her before gathering his things together.

As the two walked out of the library, Ron nudged Hermione.

"The woman hasn't been properly snogged since the Stone Ages, if at all. It's the only excuse for her having to ask us what we were up to," he leaned close to her ear to whisper. She let out a giddy, un-Hermione-like giggle as the doors closed behind them

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

The morning came, but to Ginny, it was just as dark, cold and depressing as the night had been. Winter had settled over Hogwarts heavily and there was no relief in sight. At least as far as Professor Sybil Trelawney was concerned. According to her, winter was never to end and each of the bored-to-tears 6th year Divination class was to die horribly within the year. Poor Colin was the subject of Trelawney's 'predictions' in the current conversation. Ginny had pretty much muted out the woman's rambling as soon as she'd started to speak. Not that she hadn't muted out everyone and everything the moment she'd stepped foot back in the castle late last night. He'd said that he didn't want to hurt her, and he hadn't. He'd made no promises to her and Ginny hadn't expected him to. In fact _she_ had been the one to walk away. He'd left it up to her. But she still couldn't help feeling numb.

With a look up, Ginny found the entire class's faces turned in her direction. "I… uh… I'm going to… um… be dreadfully ill next month. My toad… um… will get eaten by my mum's owl and…" might as well add some truth "… my heart will be broken to pieces over the boy I love…" Letting out a mournful sigh, Ginny sat back in her chair. The wily-haired, bespectacled professor looked absolutely delighted.

"How _wonderful_!" she said gaily, causing the entire class to roll their eyes. Then Trelawney approached Ginny and pat her hand twice. "Terribly sorry about your toad, dear…" Then, she turned to another 6th year and cornered the poor boy into another disastrous prediction. Ginny sighed again… she didn't even own a toad. But as long as it met a grisly end, she would pass this horrible venture into Divination. She could see why Hermione scoffed at the class. The class bell rung suddenly, surprising Ginny.

It was a slow walk to the Great Hall where she knew all of her mates were enjoying the awaiting feast. The house elves rarely disappointed.

"Hey, Gin!" a voice called to her. She spun, not knowing whom to expect. A genuine smile crossed her freckled features for the first time that day. No one could mistake the tall, carrot-topped boy bounding in her direction as anyone other than Ron Weasley.

"Hello big brother," she said as she shifted her books in her arms. "Why aren't you already at lunch?" Ginny could swear a small blush tinged his cheeks and the tips of his ears – the curse of all redheads… he was getting better at controlling it after years of it controlling him. There was only one person in all Hogwarts… in all the _world_… that merited such a color on her darling brother. Hermione Granger. A grin broke out over the youngest Weasley's face.

"Never mind, Ron… Only one thing could possibly make you miss a meal. I take it you've snogged the prim, proper and bookish Ms. Granger senseless?" she asked. Ron warred between horror that his sister even knew what 'snogging' was and amusement. Amusement won for the moment.

"No, you nosy little bint… but she has agreed to go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend…" he said. Ginny frowned.

"You always go to Hogsmeade toget…" Ginny broke off when his words finally made sense. After the last Hogsmeade debacle, she had to be careful what she assumed. "OH! You're going without Harry…" Ron winced slightly before putting his arm around her shoulder.

"That's something I wanted to discuss with you," he started. Ginny's eyes went wide.

"No, Ron. Absolutely not," she said harshly, knowing exactly what her brother was thinking. "I am _not_ going to tell Harry – your _best friend_ – that you two are ditching him at the last minute. This is the first Hogsmeade visit allowed in _months_…" Ron held up a hand to stop her tirade. She was too much like their mother… but he'd never say that to _her_…

"I just want _you_ to go with him. So he won't… you know… think that we've ditched him," he said. "You know… go ask him for… well…" Ron stumbled over his words, trying not to think of the words Harry, Ginny and date in the same stratosphere. His baby sister didn't go on dates… even if it was with Harry Potter. The whole Michael Corner and Dean Thomas incident from her 4th year not withstanding – he was still in denial.

"Spit it out, Ron…" Ginny said, annoyed at her brother's habit of lapsing into stuttering.

"Yes, do tell, Weasel… your inability to put together a sentence is hampering our inevitable enjoyment of your predicament," a cool, dignified voice interjected. The two Weasleys spun around to see Draco standing with Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini and Gregory Goyle. Pansy was the only one snickering as the other two looked curiously at Draco. The stoic blond at the head of the group only arched an eyebrow.

"Sod off, Malfoy. This is a private conversation and certainly none of your concern," Ron said, an angry flush coming over his cheeks as he stepped in front of his sister, blocking her view of the confrontation.

"It most certainly _isn't_ my concern what you and your filthy mudblood get up to, but I am certainly interested in seeing how Scarhead takes his puppy being forced up him so that his little friends can go off without him. Dare I say the Golden Trio will be no more?" he asked with a look of glee – or as near to as a Malfoy would show. Ron pursed his lips and stepped forward, but Ginny held him back. So this was how it was to be, then. Back to the routine.

"Let me at him Ginny. Let me give him a wollop," he gritted out. Ginny's eyes willed Draco's to her, but the blond kept his glare and his sneer directed at Ron.

"I'd like to see you try, Weasel. But I think you'd be more productive if you just slug hexed yourself again. It would save you, and _me_, the trouble…" Ron's eyes narrowed before turning slightly to Ginny.

"Fancy giving this git another taste of your Bat Bogey Hex, Gin?" he asked. To Ginny, that unfortunate encounter in Umbridge's office seemed like ages ago. Another lifetime, even. It took that question to finally pull Draco's attention to the female Weasley. A fine eyebrow, shades darker than the silver-blond hair, arched.

"Ah yes, a Weaslette and her fancies. Intriguing subject, to be sure," he said with a smirk. He then waved a hand over himself in an inviting manner. "Give it a go?" The tone in his voice was mockingly insinuating more than just a simple hex. It was more than Ginny would have liked… and according to the interesting shade of purple Ron's face was producing, he didn't care for the question either. He stepped forward menacingly.

"Do not even suggest such rubbish to my sister again," the elder Weasley growled. "You're not fit to touch a hair on her head." Draco's eyes took on an amused glint. Oh, to hint at so much more was such a temptation for him, she knew it.

"Is that so?" he asked dangerously, causing Ginny's heart to race. Would he shove their 'dealings' into Ron's face? Would he betray her like that? Instead, he let out an un-Malfoy-like snort. "Well, if The Weasel King says it's so, then he _must_ be right," he said mockingly. Parkinson, Zabini, and Goyle all laughed.

"I've wasted enough time on you muggle-loving filth," Draco said finally before giving Ginny one last look and turning on his heel, slinking into the Great Hall with his Slytherin robes billowing menacingly behind him as usual. Ron and Ginny watched the door close behind Draco's cronies with two completely different expressions. Ron's was full of immense dislike and his sister's was of painful love.

"And to think we'd thought him better this year… What an arse," Ron muttered before catching Ginny's arm. "So, will you ask Harry?" Ginny looked down at Ron's hand and then up to the Great Hall door. It wasn't a question anymore of 'what could she do?'. One option had been thoroughly stomped to the ground in pieces, unrecognizable. The only other was the one that would cause the least amount of pain for everyone. With a sigh, she made her choice and nodded to her brother.

_'Why, man, he doth stride the narrow world_  
_Like a Colossus, and we petty men  
__Walk under his huge legs and peep about  
__To find ourselves dishonorable graves.  
__Men at some time are masters of their fates;  
__The fault is not in our stars  
__But in ourselves, that we are underlings.'  
__  
- William Shakespeare, "Julius Caesar"_

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**


	14. Part XIV

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_The Great Hall..._

"Umm… hi…" an uncomfortable voice greeted from beside her. Ginny looked up into the face of Harry Potter.

"Hi, Harry," she said, moving the books next to her so he could take a seat. They fell into a silence that was almost deafening. "Was there something you needed?" she asked finally.

"Ron said you wanted to talk to me," he finally said. Ginny frowned. _Stupid meddling brothers…_

"Did he…" she muttered darkly. Then when Harry turned to look at her, she flashed him a wide smile.

"Actually, I did," she said. "I was wondering if you wanted to go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend…" It took Harry a moment to register her words, but when he did, he gave her a genuine smile.

"I'd love to…" he said, a faint red tinge covering his cheeks. Ginny let out a small laugh.

"Why, I've made Harry Potter blush. Usually, that's my game," she said. Harry chuckled as well, the blush deepening.

"Well," she said. "I've had enough Herbology in the Great Hall for one day. I'd best go to the library and start my Potions essays." Harry stood and reached a hand to help her stand up. She quickly gathered her books and the two started towards the door.

"You know, I think Ron may actually try to tell Hermione how he feels this weekend," Harry said. The look on his face told her that he wasn't exactly sure how he felt about that. Ginny smiled at the boy's emotional indecision, but she kept the information she knew to herself. They'd tell Harry eventually. And maybe he'd be better prepared when they did.

"It's about bloody time," she said. Harry's frown lightened and he chuckled.

"At least you weren't the one that had to keep them from bashing each other's heads in," he said with mock grumpiness. Ginny laughed. Harry would be fine.

"Maybe bashing each other's heads in would have moved the romance along," she said. Harry shook his head with a grin.

"I'll never understand relationships," he moaned. Ginny bumped his shoulder with her own.

"I don't think we are meant to," she said and returned his grin. The two fell into a comfortable camaraderie of good-natured ribbing and laughter. But Harry felt the icy tingle of eyes watching him as they left the hall. And he knew quite well who it was…

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

He watched with cold eyes as the pair made their way out of the Great Hall. She'd laughed… really laughed. Draco could count on one hand the times he'd made her really laugh like that. He couldn't really tell what hurt more… the fact that she'd really laughed with Potter or the fact that Potter had been the one to make her laugh. One normally wouldn't find a distinction between the two, but to Draco, the difference was colossal. He'd never been one to fall victim to jealousy. Oh, he'd had occasions of hope or wishing a situation to be different when it pertained to certain people. Or even a blinding hatred. But he'd never been one to be jealous, despite what people thought of him. He had always seen it as a useless emotion. Now, he could feel the spidery green fingers working their way through his body.

From the looks of it, Ginny Weasley would finally have her Harry Potter. Or Harry Potter would have his Ginny Weasley… whatever the way of it. Draco turned back to the homework he had been unconsciously avoiding since she had stepped foot into the hall. Things were the way they were _supposed_ be… no matter how much he wished it different.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Saturday, Hogwarts…_

"What is going to happen now, Cole?" Morag asked. The boy she'd directed her question to paced in front of the fireplace that warmed the dank common room only slightly and rubbed his aching wrist.

"The Malfoys will be no more," he said. She smiled.

"How?" she inquired. Warrington smirked as he turned to look at her.

"You are a right twisted little bint, aren't you?" he asked. Morag threw a lock of her mahogany hair behind her shoulders and gave him an unaffected look.

"No more twisted than you are love," she commented. Warrington resumed pacing once more.

"Pansy and Crabbe will take Malfoy to his father. Lucius will, no doubt, brand his son for the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord has been informed…"

"By you…" Morag interrupted. Warrington smirked.

"But of course. And once he sees that his most trusted has disobeyed him, he will kill both Lucius and Draco. Perhaps he'll burn Malfoy Manor to the ground as an example to all others," he finished, pleasure alighting his eyes. Morag shifted slightly in her seat.

"What about Narcissa Malfoy?" she asked. Warrington's smirk widened to a cold grin.

"Perhaps I shall suggest she be inside the manor when it is turned to ashes," he said. Morag suppressed a pleased shiver at his words.

"And Ginny Weasley?" she couldn't help but ask, studying her nails.

"I'm sure the Dark Lord has plans for his favorite Weasley. If not, I'm sure the Death Eaters have plans for Draco's plaything," he said, a sneer in his voice at the thought of the red haired girl.

"Why do you hate Draco so much, love?" Morag asked, looking up at him. Warrington placed a hand on the stone mantle, the firelight playing over his stony features.

"This has never been about Draco. This has been about me and what I feel I deserve. I want what he has… money, respect, power and the ability to cause pain and suffering with just a name. He scorned all of this. If he will do nothing with it, I will take it from him," he said.

"Pain and suffering… is it so important?" Morag asked. Warrington turned to look directly at her.

"It is what our world is built on. It is what makes men great," he said.

"You enjoy the pain and suffering… You like watching the misery people are put through," she commented. Then she smirked. "You get off on the torture…" The ghost of a smile on his face confirmed her statement. Her smirk widened as she stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"What about my pain and suffering? Do you care so much for it?" she asked coquettishly. Warrington didn't say anything. Instead, he gripped her waist and took what she offered. He had a little time before he had to meet Crabbe in Hogsmeade…

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Saturday, Hogsmeade…_

Harry and Ginny meandered through the streets of Hogsmeade, just enjoying the fact that they were now able to go off of school grounds. The winter air had lightened only slight and held no hints of the spring that was supposed to follow in a few short weeks.

They continued to walk through the streets and chat amiably. Ginny listened with a half ear as she hugged her heavy robes closer to herself. It was crazy to be walking around in the temperature the day bestowed upon them, but fresh air, no matter how frigid, was enough to coax all students outdoors With half an ear, she heard Seamus Finnegan talking to Neville about something or other, Dean Thomas was going on and on about his favorite Muggle sports team as usual, and even Professor McGonagall sounded cheerier than normal as she told someone how Dumbledore was visiting the Ministry. Harry was saying something about the last Quidditch match when he realized that the conversation was bordering on menial. He stopped mid-sentence and looked over at Ginny as he cleared his throat.

"You know, we're going to reform the DA," Harry confided in her as they made their way past Honeydukes. Ginny tore her gaze away from the pounds of chocolate that sat tantalizingly in the window to look over at him.

"You are? What's led to this?" she asked. Harry looked to the ground.

"We think that Voldemort may be planning attack, quite probably at Hogwarts," he said.

"We… as in you, Ron and Hermione? Or as in you and Professor Dumbldore?" she asked. Harry looked ahead to where Ron and Hermione stood, the redhead's arm around the girl's shoulders. He smiled at the way Hermione beamed up at his best friend. They were finally figuring things out…

"Me, Ron, and Hermione," he answered. Ginny took a hold of Harry's arm and stopped their walking.

"Hang on. Why is it you suspect this?" she asked. Harry's hand reached up to run over his scar. But he dropped it quickly when he saw the understanding in Ginny's eyes.

"He was angry the other night. Very angry. It's only a matter of time, really," he told her. Ginny's eyes unfocused in worry. If Voldemort was angry… Draco wasn't safe. He was never safe to begin with, but this made things worse. He'd already stood up to his father. What if he'd said something to the Dark Lord himself? Her worry became apparent and Harry took her hand.

"I didn't mean to upset you, Ginny." Ginny looked at him.

"You didn't… I mean, not really," she said. Harry smiled gently at her and squeezed her hand.

"I just figured you would want to know." Ginny smiled back at that, her heart warming at Harry wanting to include her. After years of being kept in the dark – 'for her protection' and 'because she was so young', as they would all say – it was nice to be given information without begging.

"Thank you, Harry," she said. He grinned as he turned at started walking again, tugging her hand to pull her along. It was then that Ginny became fully aware that Harry had no intention of letting her hand go.

Preconceived notions seemed to fall by the wayside as Ginny noted that Harry's hands were cooler than the ones that had held her before. And it wasn't the only distinction her mind registered. Harry's fingers weren't nearly as long or as tapered. They didn't wrap around hers as pale ones had… Ginny inwardly cursed herself for thinking such thoughts. This was the boy she'd once hoped she'd be able to do this with. Yet she couldn't help but wish he were taller, or had lighter hair, or stormier eyes… there was so much she wished for that her heart ached. She tightened her grip on Harry's hand and let him pull her after a bickering Ron and Hermione. This was how things should have been – once upon a time. But she no longer wished for that fairy tale.

Ginny sighed. Ron had always told her that she needed to grow up. If only he knew what growing up had led her to – or to whom. He'd wish her shy, giggly, Harry-fancying, hero-worshiping days back in a heartbeat.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Elsewhere in Hogsmeade…_

Winter was his least favorite time of the year. The holidays were only a few days away, and all this time Draco had been stuck inside the grounds of Hogwarts. No careless meandering the school for him. No Hogsmeade visits without an entourage. No anything besides classes, his Head Boy rounds, and braving the Slytherin common room 'For his own safety' had been Dumbledore's excuse to keep the Slytherin secluded in the dungeons. Now, winter was half over, but Nature had decided to remind everyone that it wasn't the calendar that ruled the seasons. He pulled his cloak closer to him and cursed himself for wanting to come out here in the first place. But months of being inside gave him the urge to become one with Nature. _Fat bloody good that was_, he thought as he rubbed his hands together to warm them. The warming charm was practically useless against the stinging wind. It didn't seem to stop the students from milling about the small town almost aimlessly.

Draco had seen Ginny with Potter earlier, and he was trying with everything in him to avoid running into the pair. He seriously did not want to spar words with Potter. He hadn't the energy. And he certainly didn't want to spar words with Ginny. In fact, he didn't want any words with Ginny, sparring or otherwise.

He'd been weak enough to give Ginny the choice. To either stay with him and go along with his plan, or to leave for her own safety. She'd chosen to leave and it had cut him like nothing else. Even Potter continuously winning the bloody snitch had never cut as badly as her walking away had. She hadn't trusted him. But then, how was she supposed to know that was what he was asking? He hadn't even known that was what he was after in the first place. If he hadn't known, how could she have?

Draco shook his head as he walked slowly to meet up with Pansy, Blaise, Goyle and Theodore Nott. There was no time to dwell on Ginny when things were in motion.

"There you are, Draco," Pansy's throaty drawl greeted him. She reached out and looped her arm through his. He neither threw off nor acknowledged the movement. He just stood and looked around his group of 'friends'. They'd welcomed him back into the fold with barely any questions. It made Draco suspicious. But he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. It just meant that he would get what he wanted, even though he'd still have to look over his shoulder more than he would have liked.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the movement of other green and black robes. The loud guffaw of laughter told him that it was Crabbe. A quick, surveying look over his shoulder revealed that his old mate's companion was Cole Warrington. There was a prick of unease on the back of his neck as he saw the two conversing with one another. Draco eyes shifted to Goyle, who nodded in understanding.

"I'm off to look at Quidditch brooms," Goyle said before departing. Nott let out a snort.

"Because he broke the last one just by sitting on it," he sneered. Pansy let out a shrill laugh. Blaise and Draco smiled knowing it was expected of them, but Draco shifted on his feet as he watched Goyle disappear into the shop.

"Maybe I should go with him to make sure he gets one that fits him," he said. He was about to start off after the other boy, but Pansy tightened her hold on his arm.

"You don't want to go look at silly little Quidditch stuff. Why do that when you can come watch me try on pretty dresses for the Initiation ceremony," she said huskily as she ran a finger over Draco's arm. "Besides… I've missed you so much." Draco held back the sneer he felt was warranted. The girl was positively sick-making. Pansy hadn't missed him as much as she had missed the attention he'd given her… not that it had been all that much in the past, anyway. A snog here and there, and if he'd been desperate enough, maybe even a shag. They had been thrown together as children, tools of their parents, and they had capitalized on it when it had benefited them. Beyond that, Draco had never been able to stand her. Yet still, he knew that Pansy was loyal to the Dark Lord – almost as fanatical as his Aunt Bellatrix. He wanted deeper into the circle, and Pansy was his way to do it. Her birthday was only two weeks away. She'd be receiving her Mark soon.

With another look over his shoulder, Draco took note that Goyle had exited the Quidditch shop and was now following Crabbe and Warrington. A little bit of relief released some of his tension. Gregory Goyle may not be seen as intelligent, but there were certain things he did very well. And one of them was obeying Draco's orders unfailingly.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Later…_

"I'm going to go with Ron, is that alright?" Harry asked. Ginny chuckled. Boys and their Quidditch supplies. It was like dangling cheese in front of a mouse.

"That's fine, Harry. You don't need to run everything by me," she said. _We're not on a date…_ Ginny didn't say that particular thought because she either hoped Harry knew that already, or she wanted to avoid hurting him so blatantly if he didn't. The Boy-Who-Lived squeezed her hand.

"You could always go find Hermione at Flourish and Blotts," he suggested. Ginny's face twisted in disgust.

"And have her quote to me from the handful of books she'll undoubtedly purchase? No thank you. I love Hermione, but I came to Hogsmeade to get away from school…" she said. Harry laughed before he scurried off after his best friend. She watched him go with an affectionate shake of her head.

Suddenly, she stumbled forward as someone ran none-too-gently into her. When she caught her balance and turned, all she saw were the backs of green and black cloaks. Another large form covered in green and black made its way past her. Just as she was about to leave the Slytherins to their pratish behavior, Gregory Goyle caught Ginny's attention. He was walking alone and seemed to be following the laughing Vincent Crabbe and Cole Warrington. It almost classified as stalking, really. It surprised her that Warrington was still at the school. But she supposed, reluctantly, that Dumbledore had motives for doing so.

Suddenly, Goyle's eyes slid from the pair in front of him to her. They stared at each other for a moment. There was no sneer, no look of hatred or disgust… he just nodded once and continued on his way. Her interest peaked and all thoughts of waiting for Harry and Ron wiped from her mind, she immediately went after the tall, hulking boy. They continue on for a bit down the cobblestone street before the group came to a halt. Crabbe soon left Warrington in front of one of Hogsmeade's many knick knack shops and Ginny sucked in a breath at whom he met up with.

It had been the first time since their last confrontation that she had seen him. It had become quite apparent that he'd been avoiding her as much as she had been avoiding him. He looked impeccable in his dark, Slytherin robes. But she knew that he wouldn't go anywhere public without looking flawless.

Draco looked disgusted at Crabbe's presence, and Ginny understood why. He'd told her about what he had done. It came as a surprise to Ginny when Draco and Pansy started walking again, allowing Crabbe, Nott and Zabini to continue behind them. She frowned. What was going on? Then she remembered. _I am taking the Mark…_ Those words continued to haunt her, even now, in the light of day. The fact that he was chummy with the seedier side of Slytherin House only served to further prove his words to her. He was going to do it. It was that painful thought that spurred her feet to quicken their pace.

Goyle continued to follow the group, hanging behind enough to not draw attention to himself. Pansy Parkinson was holding on to Draco's arm like a leech. Ginny knew that Draco felt nothing for her – he'd told her many times how obnoxious he found her. But the thought that they were together and that he seemed to be entertaining the thought of being with her caused a lump in Ginny's throat. She continued to follow Goyle, who in turn was following Draco. The lump in her throat became larger as the group turned their way down the dark alley that signified the entrance to the seedier side of the small village.

Hogsmeade was full of bright, cheerful shops and well-kept homes and hostels, but lingering behind those beautiful layers was the dark side that accompanied every good thing.

"What makes you so sure that we will find what you require down this way, Pansy?" Ginny heard Draco ask. There was an uncertainty in his voice that made Ginny nervous. Draco rarely felt uncomfortable – especially in situations that he could control. And if he was uncomfortable now, that meant he _wasn't_ in control. It could mean many things, but Ginny had a sinking feeling that none of them were good.

And of course, with the way Pansy was almost insistent that the small group make their way to the side of Hogsmeade closest to the Forbidden Forest, Ginny wasn't the only one that was nervous. Goyle would occasionally look over his shoulder and look around with a worried expression on his face, making him look less intimidating than any other time Ginny could remember in her six years at Hogwarts.

She lost sight of the small group as they turned around the corner of a building that Ginny didn't recognize. She turned the corner quickly and had to stumble to a stop as she saw the huddled Slytherins only a few yards away. They didn't see her, so intent were they on what had their attention. Looking around, Ginny couldn't spot Goyle anywhere and wondered to where he had taken off. But then, a blond head lying in the snow caught Ginny's own attention. Her heart stopped as she saw Pansy slip her wand back in her robes and beckon for Crabbe and Theodore Nott to pick Draco's now-motionless form up from the snow. Ginny kept herself from yelling out and calling attention to herself. If they found her, she'd be in much of the same state as Draco. She needed to go get help.

Quickly turning around, she made her way back up the darker streets of Hogsmeade. She'd just made her way around the final corner back to the main road when a hand reached out and grabbed her arm. She drew her wand and prepared to fight whomever grabbed her.

"Shhhhhh…" a voice hissed. Ginny frowned as she looked into Gregory Goyle's face.

"Goyle… what the hell are you doing?" she hissed back. He gentled his grip on her arm and accompanied her the final few feet.

"They've got Draco. Blaise is with him, but there isn't much he can do without giving himself away. We've got to go get Dumbledore… he's the only one that can keep them from giving him the Mark," he said finally. _He wants the Mark_, she thought to herself. Suddenly, another thought ran through her head and Ginny stopped their progress to take Goyle's large hand in her own.

"I heard McGonagall say that Dumbledore is at the Ministry of Magic today. If you search him out and bring the Aurors down, there is no telling what could happen. Draco may have the Mark by now. If he does, the Aurors will make no distinction between black cloaks. They will kill him," she said. Goyle's eyes looked troubled.

"This is all Crabbe's fault. If he'd kept his big gob shut, Draco could have found a way out of this just as he'd planned. But the wanker played his hand and now Draco is as good as dead," he said. Ginny dropped his hand and stood straight.

"Not yet," she said. "Go find my brother Ron. Tell him to go back the Burrow. My brothers should all be there. Tell them it's important and I need their help. Don't say anything about Draco. Just tell them I've gone with the Death Eaters into the Forbidden Forest." The boy looked at her with surprise and a little bit of admiration.

"You're willing to risk your family for a Slytherin?" he asked. Ginny's eyes met his.

"The entire wizarding world underestimates us Weasleys. I'd be more afraid for the Death Eaters," she said before turning and heading into the forest. "Now, hurry!" Accustomed to taking orders, Goyle ran as quickly as his tall, bulky form would let him.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**


	15. Part XV

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Goyle had informed that blustering idiot of a boy that Ginny Weasley insisted on calling a brother of the situation at hand. _Draco was right_, Goyle thought with a learned sneer. Weasel really could be one gigantic waste of air.

After all the trouble that he, Goyle, had gone through to get into the Gryffindor common room, one would think that the mention of his sister and Death Eaters in the same sentence would cut short the Weasel's rant on Slytherin scum…

"Well, well, well… Gregory Goyle. Draco Malfoy's most loyal," a voice stopped him in his tracks as he made his way down the Gryffindor stairway. He turned to see a wand pointed at him and a normally cheery face sneering at him.

"What do you want?" Goyle asked. He knew he could take the other person simply with his size, but there was another face sneering at him and another wand pointed at his heart. Even _he_ knew that being outnumbered was a disadvantage despite his size.

"Seeing as you, a Slytherin, are in the Gryffindor hallway, I'd think that would be the question we would ask you," the cold voice corrected. Goyle frowned and shifted on his feet. He needed to get to Draco, but these two insisted on asking his intentions rather than assuming what they were as most in the school normally did.

"I'm torturing Gryffindors," he said simply and started down the stairs once more. There was a snort of disbelief from behind him that caused Goyle to pause once more.

"I think you were warning Weasley…" the other voice said. Warning bells went off in Goyle's mind.

"What would I warn Weasley of?" he inquired. There was icy laughter behind him.

"That his sister is about to become fodder for the Dark Lord," one of them said. Goyle looked over his shoulder.

"And how would you know that, Creevey?" he asked. Colin looked over his shoulder to his friend, then back to Goyle.

"I know more than you think," he said. His counterpart chuckled. Goyle couldn't place the other person. All he knew was that he wasn't in Gryffindor.

"You have no idea what you are doing," Goyle said. Colin laughed.

"That's what's so nice about all of this, mate. We don't _need_ to know what is going on," he said. Advice Draco had recited to him over and over again since the moment they had first stepped foot on Hogwarts grounds together ran through Goyle's head. _Get as much out of them before doing what you have to do…_ In this case, he'd have to run. But first, he needed to know Creevey's game.

"Why don't you need to know?" he asked. Colin smirked and it was worthy of a Slytherin.

"Because Warrington knows exactly what he is doing…" the blond said before raising his wand. Goyle felt only a moment of panic before the spell was leveled at him.

"_Stupefy…_"

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_And when man faces destiny, destiny ends and man comes into his own.  
– Andre Malraux_

Draco opened his eyes to see a ceiling of trees blocking his view of the fading winter sky. There was a fire burning next to him and he could see the outlines of a half a dozen robed men. With a heavy swallow, he looked back up to the trees. He knew what the fire was for. And he knew that one of those robed figures held the wand that would brand him a servant to the Dark Lord.

Draco slowly sat up and ran a hand over his robes. His wand was predictably missing. A quick look around told him that there was a small number of Death Eaters circling the fire and preparing the feared ritual. After the meeting at Malfoy Manor, Draco knew that this was his father's doing. He should have suspected that despite all of his denials, all of his standing up to Lucius, that he would eventually end up in this very position. Nothing had been denied his father over the years, and Draco was quite certain that the same was true of Voldemort.

Now, he sat here, under the watch of Death Eaters he had never had the pleasure of meeting, without a wand and only two outcomes that the evening could come to. He would either have the Mark by sundown, or he would be dead.

"It would seem that my son has finally come to his senses," a voice said. Draco's head twisted to locate the familiar voice. "Bring him to his feet…." Two sets of hands gripped Draco's arms and roughly pulled him to a standing position. Draco closed his eyes to settle the swaying motion the world seemed to be employing at the moment. When he opened them again, he stared straight at the man with whom he shared blood, looks and temperament.

"Come to my senses, how, exactly?" Draco asked. "Did you mean that literally or figuratively?" Any reaction Lucius may have had was hidden behind the mask.

"Your cheek is not amusing, boy," he growled. Draco rolled his eyes.

"I didn't say it for _your_ benefit," he said. The mask nodded. A fist met the side of Draco's face with brutal force. When Draco stood upright once more, he stared at his father.

"Too frightened to do that on your own now, are you?" he asked. Draco knew that he was only asking for more trouble. But if he was going to die tonight, he wasn't going to go quietly. The robed figure of his father moved forward, only stopping when he was mere inches from his son.

"I am afraid of nothing. And soon, so will you. Once you have the Mark, power beyond your meager comprehension will be yours," he said. Then, he turned and motioned to the Death Eaters that had been standing behind him. "Prepare the ritual…" Draco let out a heavy breath. He was going to receive what he'd been trying to avoid for the past two years. And it was all because he'd gone about it the wrong way. Draco had always prided himself on his understated and often overlooked intelligence. But he had been stupid to think he could pull this off alone. He'd let no one know of his true intentions, not even Zabini or Goyle. And it would ultimately lead to his death.

"I didn't come here to take the Mark," Draco said after a moment. It took a moment, but Lucius understood the underlying threat his only son had veiled in the statement.

"And if I must," Draco continued. "I will go to my grave refusing the Mark and the Dark Lord. I will not give you the satisfaction of believing you won. I would rather see you dead by the Dark Lord's hand…"

"You are a coward to refuse the Mark," Lucius spat at his son. Draco's eyes narrowed as he looked at the man who was often called his mirror image.

"I am not a coward to reject something I don't believe in, Father," he said, looking around at the other black robed men staring transfixed at the Malfoy showdown.

"So you've joined with Potter, Dumbledore and the rest then?" Lucius said with a sneer evident in his voice.

"I've joined no one, Father. I will not be the Death Eater you groomed me to be all my misbegotten life. I've no wish to become you. But I've also no wish to become Potter. I don't believe in him either," the younger Malfoy said simply. "This is not my future…"

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Ginny's eyes widened as she sat behind the brush. She understood now. What he'd been saying all this time… he would not fight. He would not _willingly _take the Mark, but he would not pick up his wand for Dumbledore either. He'd said those very words before, but it never hit her until this very moment. Draco Malfoy did not stand for either side, his own beliefs somewhere stuck in the middle. He didn't care about Voldemort, and he certainly didn't care for Dumbledore.

When he'd told her he was taking the Mark, he'd been testing her. As low a blow as it may have been on his part, it was simply his way of operating. She knew that now, after days of introspection. He'd given her a choice… and she'd failed miserably. He'd wanted her to trust him. He'd wanted her to love him for all that he couldn't show he cared for her. But instead, her prejudices against his family, his supposed destiny and the Mark itself had blinded her to what he had really been trying to do. Draco Malfoy had been trying to protect her. And he had been trying to protect himself. He had been trying to protect whatever future they could have together in whatever way he knew how.

"You are no Malfoy…" Ginny heard his father say. She held her breath as Draco gave the older man a very familiar sneer.

"Oh, you're quite mistaken, Father. I am most certainly a Malfoy. You taught me that Malfoys look out for their best interests. We are not cowards, merely cautious. Your best interests may lay with the Dark Lord, but mine most certainly do not. Potter will win the war; you only fool yourself to think otherwise. I will go my own way after Voldemort is vanquished and you are in Azkaban… or, preferably, dead," he said. Lucius glared, the gray in his eyes becoming molten.

Without warning, the elder Malfoy whipped out his wand and sent the Crucio curse at his only heir. Ginny's startled scream mingled with Draco's own scream of pain. There wasn't much room for error at this point. Restraining herself from running headlong into the mess, she could only hope that Goyle was able to reach her brother without much hexing involved. Ron trusted no Slytherin, but with her name on Goyle's lips she hoped that his reaction would be quick.

Ginny watched with a lurching stomach and an aching heart as Draco was tortured under the curse and beaten mercilessly by those standing by. She wanted so badly to rush the band of black-robed bastards and kill them all. But her mind told her heart that it would be nothing more than a suicide mission and not help Draco in the slightest.

Suddenly, there was a rustle of brush behind her and she whirled around, wand ready, to see Ron, Bill and Charlie approaching.

"Ginny!" Ron hissed, his stride lengthening to reach her quicker. "What the bloody hell have you got going through your head? Have you gone absolutely mental?"

"_Silencio!_" Charlie charmed in his brother's direction. Bill frowned in disapproval as they all knelt next to Ginny.

"Ron'll carry on for eons if we don't shut him up now," Charlie said in explanation. Ginny smiled in gratitude.

"Now," Bill started. "Why have you got us all here in a panic…" Ginny opened her mouth, but rather than try to explain she pointed to the small clearing beyond the foliage they were taking refuge behind. Charlie and Bill carefully edged forward so they could see what was going on. Ron followed suit, an angry frown still on his face at what he saw as an unfair silencing. The elder Weasley's blue eyes went wide.

"Bloody Death Eaters!" Bill hissed as he turned back to Ginny. "We've got to inform the Order!" Both Ginny and Charlie held their oldest brother back as Ron continued to appraise the situation.

"No…" Ginny hissed back to Bill. Charlie shot a look at her, knowing there was an ulterior motive for their only sister to call on her brothers… and only her brothers. Ron kicked Charlie in the shin and pointed to his mouth. The counter charm was cast and Ron could speak once more.

"Is that Malfoy out there?" he asked, horror in his voice at the sight of the broken and bloody blond boy. Ginny's eyes went back to the scene and nodded. Ron's eyes widened even more when he realized that the Death Eater watching over the proceedings was the elder Malfoy. Then he shook off the sympathetic feelings. It was bloody _Malfoy_.

"Where are Fred and George?" Ginny asked. Ron turned to his sister and was taken aback at seeing the anger and pain etched into her pleasant face.

"They… they're on their way… as are Harry and Hermione," he answered.

"Why are we here, Gin? To stop the Death Eaters that you don't want us to stop?" Bill asked. Ginny's mouth was dry, but she spoke anyway.

"Draco doesn't want the Dark Mark," she revealed. Then she pointed to the fallen form. "As you can see, they are trying to talk him into it…" It was then that Ginny noticed Charlie watching her closely. Ron continued to peek over the leaves and branches to watch in morbid fascination.

"You're…" Charlie started, but Ginny cut him off with a glare. Ron's head snapped around to look at his sister. Charlie had been about to say something and Ron had a suspicion that it was something he should be privy to.

"Stop…" Ginny warned. Then, an animal-like whimper escaped her throat as a particularly brutal kick was administered to Draco's middle. Ginny watched as two bulky Death Eaters approached Draco's now-bared arm. She straightened her shoulders, stood and gripped her wand.

"Ginny… what…" Ron stuttered. But she didn't answer. Instead, she walked out of the brush that had been hiding her. In her anger, she barely registered the fact that she'd disarmed the two men holding on to Draco. She marched right past them and up to Lucius Malfoy. The blond man, in his sadistic amusement, removed his mask to smirk at her.

"Leave… him… alone…" she ordered. The man continued to smirk at her, but Ginny held her ground, her wand pointed directly at the elder Malfoy's heart.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

"What the bloody hell is she doing?" a voice hissed from behind an astounded Ron, Bill and Charlie.

"Why are you lot just sitting around gaping and not stopping our sister from marching right up to Death and saying 'cheerio, mate'?" George scolded after his brother. He other three Weasley brothers turned to look at the twins.

"And what do you think the three of us can do against the lot of them?" Charlie asked, his gaze flicking back to where his sister stood.

"Besides get ourselves killed," Ron grumbled. The twins scoffed.

"And you expect Gin to fare any better?" they asked in unison. The five of them turned to look at where their family'sonly femalein their generation was threatening Lucius Malfoy. Ron shook his head miserably.

"Where did this standing up to Malfoy thing come from?" he asked. Any response was cut off at the arrival of Harry and Hermione.

"What's happened?" Hermione asked quietly, crouching next to Ron.

"Our dear little Gin-bean has decided to take on the Death Eaters by her lonesome. She's lucky they're too startled to kill her properly…" Fred grumbled. "Mum'll have our hides for sure…" Harry stood and pulled out his wand.

"We'd better help her then," he said. His eyes roamed the area and took in the fallen boy. "Is that…" Ron nodded to affirm Harry's thought.

"Malfoy…" then he pointed to the man now smirking down at Ginny. "… Malfoy Senior." Whatever the statement was meant as, Harry paid no attention to it. Instead, he marched out from behind the grove of bushes, a gaggle of cursing Weasleys scrambling after him.

"At least the odds are a little better," George commented.

"But still not in our favor," Hermione reminded him as she gripped her wand nervously.

"Spoilsport," Fred said in lean of his brother's silence. Hermione gave him a pained smile as Harry began shooting off disarming spells.

"Not a spoilsport… reasonable and rational," she answered.

"To-_may_-to, to-_mah_-to," was the reply.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

He didn't remember all of what happened to bring him to this state. Draco's eyes focused on the grass and weeds that his head now rested against. Pain radiated from every fiber of his being and he could only assume that a spell had been leveled his way. And the way that certain parts of his anatomy ached, Draco could only assume that he had been kicked while he was down.

"Your fate will rest with ours," he heard Lucius growl. Draco's eyes looked up and focused enough to see his father indicate for the rest of the Death Eaters to circle around his fallen son. One of them brandished a glowing wand, ready to burn the dark insignia into pale flesh.

Panic and self-preservation kicked in and Draco struggled with everything in him, jerking his arm in order to free himself and find his wand. It was fruitless. Fists and feet found vulnerable spots on his already hurting body. The sudden flare of pain made him go limp and he stopped struggling. The men holding him chuckled as they let his body fall harshly back to the ground. Draco didn't move. He couldn't.

The sudden lack of movement caught his attention. It was as if someone had cast an _Immobulus_ spell over the whole gathering. The robed man with the branding wand was staring, transfixed, at something behind him. Draco looked around at all of the others.

Surprise registered in all the Death Eaters' eyes… except in his father's as he removed his mask. His silver eyes held hatred and an unsettling amount of glee. Draco couldn't help but be curious. If only his body would let him turn to see what had caused such a reaction.

"Leave him alone…" he heard a feminine voice growl at Lucius.

Draco closed his eyes from where he lay on the ground. Those three words transported him back to Flourish and Blotts the beginning of second year. Those three words that had been merely uttered to him as he'd picked on Potter years ago were now spit out as a vicious warning. A dare, almost, to cross her… Draco opened his eyes to see Ginny - tall, skinny, _powerful_ Ginny - standing up to his dark robed father. She looked small compared to his father's height. He wanted to stand up and help her, to guard her from whatever Lucius planned on throwing at her… but his legs would not move. With everyone focused on the standoff, no one really noticed as one dark robed figure slipped away from the scene. But Draco caught the movement and registered it somewhere in the back of his mind. He had other pressing matters as could feel the blood trails running down the side of his face. His arm hurt where the Death Eaters had tried to put the brand and he was sure that he was seeing spots. He wanted to call out to her, to tell her to leave, but his voice would not work.

It took a moment for Draco to realize that the spots weren't actually spots… they were shadows approaching from behind, cast from the fiery blaze that now seemed to consume the Forbidden Forest. It was strange how the glow from the fire made it look as if each person had a crown of red hair…

"Draco has betrayed his blood... he has refused the Mark that was his birthright. It is time for him to suffer," Lucius hissed as he drew his wand up and pointed it at Ginny. "Get out of my way, girl…"

"Never. You'll have to kill me first," she said.

"So be it… it will only add to Draco's suffering to watch you die," Lucius growled. Draco wanted to protest and tried to sit up to do so – to do _anything_ but lie there and let it happen - but he felt a cool hand on his forehead, keeping him still. Looking up, he saw Granger taking an assessing look at his injuries. It was then that he took in the presence of Potter and the Weasleys – all one thousand of them, or so. A wall of Weasleys now guarded him from his father.

"_Expelliaramus_!" a chorus of voices yelled as the beginnings of an Unforgivable formed on Lucius's lips.

"You so much as breathe in her direction, Malfoy, and you will wish you hadn't," Ron warned, his wand trained on the now-wandless elder Malfoy. Granger had stayed by Draco's side while the others had gone to stand protectively next to their sister. His gray eyes went wide as the redheaded gaggle (with a dark head thrown in) was now circling around him. He had no idea why… except for their inherent goodness that propelled them to stand up for the downtrodden – or in his case, those beaten bloody to the ground. Draco's eyes tried to spot what had happened to Ginny, but he couldn't see her. He swatted Granger's hand away from his head and tried to sit up.

"Mal…" she started to scold but was cut off by an explosion. This time Draco leapt directly to his feet, feeling rushing back into his extremities and the pain making him lightheaded. Half of the brood of Weasleys had been thrown back from the force of the explosion, but none of them were hurt as they clamored back to their feet.

Death Eaters scrambled in the confusion and started to dart away into the forest. Draco could see the Weasel and the twins throwing curses at the departing figures, but there was no luck. The other two Weasleys had no fear of throwing the killing curse and quickly took out three of the Death Eaters. Fleeting, Draco wondered who they had been. But Ginny's startled yell called his immediate attention. He turned to see his father wield his wand and send the girl flying into a tree. She promptly fell to the ground in a heap. His legs threatened to give out on him as he tried to scramble to where Ginny had fallen but he kept them moving by sheer will alone. It was only an escaping Death Eater that stood in his way now. Draco stared at the wand and knew that there would be two words that would be said next. And there was nothing he could do since he was wand-less.

"_Stupefy!_" another voice called. Draco watched, astounded, as the man fell to the ground and Granger stepped out from behind him. The last of his strength left him and he fell to his hands and knees. Granger ran to him and tried to help him back to his feet, but he shook her off.

"Gin…" he said too softly for the person he was calling for to hear it. But Granger did.

"She's just fine and Charlie's with her," she told him. He looked up at the bushy-haired girl and saw concern marring her brow. "We've got to stop your bleeding, Malfoy…" He didn't say anything to her, but tried to stand up instead. And for all of his effort, Draco did the most dignified thing he could and passed out.

_It is to be remarked that a good many people are born curiously unfitted for the fate waiting them on this earth.  
__- Joseph Conrad_

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**


	16. Part XVI

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

"Ginny!" Charlie's voice cried as he half ran, half fell to where she lay. She opened her eyes to see her brother hovering over her.

"Are you alright?" they both asked in unison. Charlie chuckled as he helped her to sit up.

"Considering your flight pattern, I think that me asking that question is more important," he said. Ginny smiled, but it turned to a wince as she moved to stand. The small amount of snow that had made it into the thickly canopied forest made it difficult to find purchase on the ground. Charlie muttered a quick spell and the snow disappeared. Ginny smiled her thanks as she quickly looked to see Fred, George, Bill and Ron dispelling the flames from the explosion with choruses of _Aguamenti_.

"Bruised, but in tact," she said. Her eyes roamed over the now-smoky area of trees. "Draco?" Charlie watched as his sister's face turned frightened. He stood and looked around the clearing. A few of the Death Eaters he and Bill had been able to catch littered the area, forever stilled. But the one person his sister asked after seemed to be on the better end, not counting the bruises, bleeding and sure pain he was likely to be in.

"Hermione's looking after him. We need to get out of here," he said, taking her arm and leading her to where Ron was standing.

"Where did that ruddy bastard get off to?" Ron growled. He flexed his wand wrist. "I'd like to show that bloody Death Eater a thing or two…" Charlie chuckled.

"I think they were all scared off by you," he teased. Ron glared at his older brother.

"That would be smart of them…" he said.

"Oh yes, right smart," Charlie responded with an exaggerated nod. Ron just huffed.

"Oh hush it," he said. Ginny wasn't paying attention to her brothers but was looking around the area again instead.

"Ron, where's Harry?" Ginny asked, holding on to her arm where it had hit the tree. It was probably broken. Ron looked out into the forest.

"He ran after one of the Death Eaters…" he said. Ginny's eyes went wide.

"And you didn't go with him? Ron, he could be running into a trap…" she said. Charlie held her shoulder as she made to go into the forest.

"Harry can take care of himself, Ginny. Besides, if there was a trap, I don't think it was for Harry," he said. Ginny's gaze immediately went to Draco. The two brothers shared a knowing look as their sister crossed the space that separated her from the blond. Hermione looked up at Ginny, blood and dirt mixing on her cheek and forehead. The bushy-haired girl gave the redhead a ghost of a smile.

"I've stopped some of the bleeding, but we need to get him back to Hogwarts. He's been beaten, Crucio-ed, and I believe there are a few other spells that have been administered that I am unaware of. Madame Pomfrey and Professor Snape are his best hope," she said. Ginny nodded because she couldn't speak. Remorse and worry formed a large lump in her throat. If only she'd pushed him harder to reveal what he'd been up to… maybe she could have prevented this…

"You'd only have ended up next to him in the same state, quite probably worse," Hermione said, causing Ginny's head to snap back to look at her. The older girl didn't look up from Draco's pale form. Ginny was about to reply, but Ron knelt down next to Hermione, effectively cutting off whatever Ginny wanted to say.

"You can't do any more, 'Mione… let's get him back to the castle," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist. Hermione nodded and let Ron help her stand. Bill and Charlie joined them and lifted their wands.

"_Mobilcorpus…"_ they said in unison. Draco's body lifted from the ground and the small group began to trek back to Hogwarts. Fred wrapped an arm around Ginny as they all walked.

"Are you going to tell us what all this is about, love?" he asked. George stepped to the other side of her.

"Yeah… why'd we almost get our bollocks hexed off for Draco bloody Malfoy?" he added. Ginny let out a deep breath and stopped walking. The twins stopped as well and turned to look at her, awaiting an answer.

"It's none of your bloody business," she said softly. Then she pushed by them and tried to catch up to the others. She felt bad for being so callous to her brothers, but dealing with the repercussions of tonight was not something she wanted to think about just yet. She had to make sure Draco was safe first.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

"Do you think he's alright? Should we go look for him?" Ron asked as he and Hermione perched on the castle stairs. Hermione scooted closer to Ron in order to block the cold wind.

"I don't know, Ron," she said. "The professors don't seem all too rushed. But this is _Harry_…" Ron stood up and began to pace.

"He's been out there for ages! Ever since we got Malfoy back here…" he said. Hermione clutched her cloak closer to her in the absence of Ron's body heat.

"Harry knows what he's doing. He didn't receive an Outstanding in Defense Against the Dark Arts for not knowing how to defend himself," she noted. Ron let out a small huff, his breath visible in the frigid air.

"I know that," he said, glowering at the dark forest. "But it's dark out and it's cold out… and the forest is off limits… and…" Ron trailed off as something caught his eye.

A figure with dark hair materialized from the multitude of trees that Ron and Hermione had been studiously gazing at. Hermione stood and immediately clutched Ron's arm.

"Ron…" she said, pointing to the figure. When the person raised a hand to rub what appeared to be his forehead, it was enough confirmation and the two took off running.

"Harry!" Ron cried as he and Hermione rushed to where their friend had emerged out of the forest. The Boy-Who-Lived looked tired, his robes were dirty, his cloak and Gryffindor scarf were missing, and he had dirt smudged over his face. Ron slipped out of his cloak and handed it to a slightly shaking Harry.

"What happened?" Hermione asked, horror at his appearance evident in her voice. Harry bundled into Ron's cloak gratefully and they all turned to walk back into the castle.

"There were three Death Eaters escaping. I got two of them… I think the third was Malfoy…" he said. The other two were quiet as they absorbed the news.

"McGonagall is having a fit wondering where you are. Hagrid's been going on for the better part of an hour about how Voldemort's got you," Ron said in slight exaggeration, rubbing his hands together to keep them warm. Harry stopped walking just inside the courtyard doors.

"Well, he's partially right. Voldemort _was_ in the forest," Harry told the two of them. Ron and Hermione's eyes went wide.

"He was there?" Ron asked. "How is it we got away, then?" Harry's lips tightened.

"He wasn't meant to be there…" he said. Ron frowned in confusion.

"What the bloody hell does…" he started, but Hermione cut him off as an insight hit her.

"Lucius Malfoy!" she said. Ron turned to look at her.

"What's he got to do with anything?" he asked. She put a hand to her chin in thought.

"If Voldemort was there, but wasn't supposed to be… Lucius Malfoy has got an agenda all his own, it would appear. There's dissension in the ranks," she said. Ron perked up at that.

"That's good then," he said happily. But that emotion slipped off as he looked between his two friends. "Right?"

"If Draco is not allied with his father's plans, Snape is surely protecting him," Hermione concluded. Harry nodded.

"And if he is under Snape's protection, which means Dumbledore's as well, then how did he end up in the forest tonight?" he asked. Ron scoffed.

"Slytherins… traitors the lot of 'em," he muttered. Hermione smiled.

"Ron's right," she said. The redhead looked pleased by her statement.

"Of course I'm right. We've dealt with those snakes for seven years…" he said.

"What I meant is that if Draco wasn't planning on being there, someone made sure that he was. The only question is, who?" she pointed out.

"Goyle?" Harry asked. Hermione shook her head.

"He and Zabini have been Draco's shadow for the past month or so. I don't think it's them," she said.

"Crabbe," Ron said with distaste. "He's the one that's been missing lately…"

"And he's been with Warrington's group," Harry added. "Now that I think about it, that whole lot's been a bit shifty as of late…" Ron nodded.

"Bloody Slytherins," he said. "And Malfoy's been getting thick with them in the past week…"

"Why do you think that is? If he isn't part of the plan, why get involved with that bunch again?" Hermione asked. Harry frowned.

"We really can't say one way of the other if Malfoy is to be trusted at all not to join the Death Eaters," he said. Ron nodded, but Hermione let out a frustrated sigh.

"Harry, you've got to see past this hatred of Malfoy," she said. Ron let out a snort.

"Why do that? It's not as if it isn't true," he said. Hermione rounded on the redhead.

"I'm not saying to stop hating him, Ronald. I'm just saying to look past the hate and be objective on the situation. And besides, should we trust you to be anything but a hot-tempered, over-protective, self-conscious, under-achieving buffoon?" she asked hotly. Ron frowned, but he was at a loss for words. Harry couldn't hold back the snicker at the way his friend's jaw opened and closed as he attempted to find an appropriate comeback. Hermione's chin lifted as her point was made.

"Thought so…" she said and then turned back to the Boy-Who-Lived with a look.

"Hermione's got a point. We need to find out Malfoy's true intentions before we can do anything," Harry said, albeit reluctantly. It was hard to break seven years of assuming the worst. He looked at Ron, who seemed to be on the same train of thought as Harry.

"Maybe Ginny will know," Hermione said wisely. Harry's head snapped up to look at his friend. She just looked at him. It was enough to tell him the true state of things. There was a small ache in his chest, but it had to be ignored for the moment.

"Why would Ginny know anything about Malfoy?" Ron asked in his usually belligerent manner. Hermione let out a sigh and Harry took an unconscious step away from what was going to be a very angry Ron Weasley.

"Ron…" Hermione started, but everything else she could of said was in her look as she stared at the redhead. Ron stared back, trying to figure out what her silence was telling him. Then, it came to him. With a groan, he threw up his hands and turned from his girlfriend.

"You have got to be bloody well kidding me!" he cried.

"Ginny's going to kill you…" Harry muttered to Hermione as they both watched Ron pace in front of them and rant about the evils of blond ferrets.

"I figure I just saved her the trouble of being murdered… plus, we will all eventually need to know what's going on with Malfoy anyway. It'll save Ron the rage later. When it comes down to it, he'll only be a cranky git… not a murderous one," she said back. Harry smiled.

"Well done," he said. Hermione grinned even though she kept her eyes on Ron, who was still stalking about.

"I know my Ron," she said. When she realized what she'd said, she blushed slightly, causing Harry to snicker.

"I think I'll leave you two…" he said. Hermione looked over at him.

"To warn Ginny?" she asked. Harry let out a sigh.

"I was going to go talk to her about Malfoy, but I suppose I'll have to warn her," he said. Hermione laid a comforting hand on his arm.

"You know the Weasley temper… and since the twins and Bill and Charlie are here… Ron'll be sure to break the news not so quietly," she reminded him.

"Hopefully, they haven't gotten a hold of her yet, otherwise I doubt she'll tell me _anything_," he said. Hermione smiled.

"Best hurry then," she said before turning back to a still ranting Ron. With a roll of her eyes, she shooed Harry away. "I'll take care of this one…"

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_A little bit later…_

Ginny watched as they made Draco's unconscious form comfortable in the infirmary bed, and Harry watched Ginny. Finally, when her curiosity and concern were satisfied and she knew Draco would be okay under the watchful eyes of Madame Pomfrey, she turned to make her way out of the hospital wing.

"I've headed off your brothers for the time being," Harry's voice startled her. Ginny spun around to look at him.

"Harry…" she breathed. "I didn't know you were here." Harry smiled wryly.

"I know you didn't," he said.

"And how, exactly, did you manage routing everyone?" she asked, a small smile on her face. Harry shrugged.

"They all caught me in the Gryffindor common room as I was looking for you. I told them that you needed to be checked over by Madame Pomfrey and that McGonagall wanted to speak with you after," he said. Ginny smirked.

"They thought my health and well-being was more important that the Weasley Inquisition?" she asked. "Mark the day on the calendar, Harry…" She heard Harry chuckle, but she'd turned back to look in the infirmary door. Draco lay still in the bed as Madame Pomfrey fussed over him.

"You can go in, you know," Harry noted. Ginny shook her head.

"No. He wouldn't want me there right now," she said. Harry looked at her curiously and struck up the nerve to ask a question that had been weighing on him for a while now.

"What's happened between you and him?" he asked. Ginny's eyes widened when she realized that she'd inadvertently admitted to something.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Harry smiled.

"I'm not entirely stupid," he said. His head hadn't been, anyway. His heart was another matter. Ginny smiled back, albeit unsurely.

"You're not stupid, Harry. You're far from it, to be said right," she said.

"Alright then… despite what you may think, I'm not entirely unobservant," he said. Ginny laughed at the pointed statement. Everyone had thought Harry completely unconcerned at Ginny's infatuation of him years before. It felt good to know that he _had_, in fact, seen her back then, even if those emotions were all in the past for her.

"Oh, Harry. I don't think you're unobservant. Now Ron… he's an entirely different herd of hippogriffs," she said with a wry twist to her lips. Harry immediately recognized the look as one of Malfoy's favorites. The shrewd look on his face caused Ginny to go slightly pink and turn from him.

"You've spent a lot of time with him, haven't you?" Harry asked.

"What makes you say that?" Ginny asked. Harry couldn't help but chuckle at the continued avoidance.

"Something went wrong, didn't it?" Harry pushed on. He was surprised when Ginny actually turned back to look at him.

"Maybe I have spent a little time with him and maybe something did go wrong," she admitted. She crossed her arms and looked sadly to the floor. Harry let out a disappointed breath.

"You're in love with him," Harry noted. A myriad of expressions worked their way through Ginny's eyes as she avoided his gaze.

"Harry…" she started. Harry held up his hand.

"I know, Gin," he told her. It looked like Ginny didn't know what else to say. A lot of people expected her to be in love with Harry forever. To an extent, Harry was sure even Draco Malfoy himself expected it. Her family certainly wanted a happy ending with the Boy-Who-Lived officially a part of the Weasley clan. But Harry knew that time had passed.

"It's dangerous to be anywhere near him right now, Ginny," Harry continued, looking to the ground. They both knew that it was just as unsafe to be anywhere near Harry as well.

"I know that, Harry," Ginny said softly. She turned to look back in the infirmary door. "I know that loving him is probably the biggest mistake of my life – even over writing in that bloody diary…" Harry's eyes drifted to where hers were focused. Never before had he ever thought that the Prince of Slytherin could be capable or worthy of being loved. Especially by someone like Ginny.

It was strange, to say the least, to see Draco Malfoy so vulnerable. He lay unaware of the world around him and quite susceptible to seven years of bitter revenge that had surely built against him throughout the school. For Harry, the bitterness, the raging hatred… it was all still there, but the sight of the bruising, bleeding and brokenness of someone who was usually such a presence let empathy and pity seep in. Ginny turned to look at the Boy-Who-Lived, her brown eyes holding a sorrowful gaze that told him she knew how Harry felt. About her _and _about Draco.

"I'm sorry, Harry," she said simply before turning and starting down the hallway. She could feel Harry's eyes on her as she walked away from him.

Any other day, she would have tried to make him feel better or to make him feel as if his burden was a little lighter. But she needed to see Professor Dumbledore, and she needed to see him without an escort.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Hogwarts Infirmary…_

"Malfoy…" Potter's hated voice said as Draco's eyes opened. The blond boy gave Harry a disgusted look.

"Yours is not the deformed face one wants to see when waking," he drawled as he sat up. Harry shook his head.

"You never quit, do you?" he asked. Draco's eyebrow went up as he pulled the sheets closer to him.

"Quit at what?" he asked. Harry smiled.

"Your switch is permanently stuck at that of miserable, loathsome sod," he said. Draco smirked before he could catch himself.

"Better than permanently being a bloody saint," he said. The two boys fell silent, not knowing what else to say to each other besides insults. "I suppose I should be thanking you…" All that came was the supposition. Harry shifted on his feet.

"It's not me you should be thanking," he said. Draco's brow arched again.

"The Boy-Who-Lived not taking credit for his righteous actions? Even if it _was_ saving a Death Eater?" he asked sarcastically. Harry let out a breath.

"You'd get along famously with my cousin Dudley, Malfoy…" he said. Gray eyes widened.

"Oy… don't you dare compare me to your _Muggle_ relatives, Potter," he said.

"You can't have the monopoly on insults and general nastiness, despite how hard you try. As I said, Malfoy, it's not me you need to thank. But why she'd help you after everything is beyond me," Harry retorted dryly. Malfoy frowned. _She?_ Then it all came back. Ginny standing up to his father and nearly getting herself killed in the process. He sat back against the pillow with a deep breath of his own.

"Told you, did she?" he asked, not sure how he felt about her disclosing their relationship to the boy who replaced him. Harry watched the blond closely. There was a subtle shifting of emotions across the usually so emotionless Slytherin. It had been the same array of emotions that had crossed Ginny's face when Harry had bluntly asked her what had gone on between her and the blond boy.

"She didn't tell me much of anything. I'm wondering if, maybe, _you_ should," he said. Draco scoffed.

"Playing at mind medi-wizard are you now, Potter?" he asked. "Failing so miserably at everything else?" Harry snorted.

"You wish…" he answered the boy's acid questions. Draco didn't want to talk to the other boy any longer, so he crossed his arms and turned to look out the window hoping it would be enough to dismiss any unwanted conversation. Things were so muddled now and he wanted to be alone in order to come to terms with it.

"She loves you, you know," Harry's voice persisted in annoying him. Draco visibly tensed as the words registered.

"Who loves who, Potter? Methinks you've gone mental…" he said, his head turning slowly to look at Harry. The dark-haired boy just stared at Draco.

"You know bloody well who I'm talking about. Ginny loves you and that is why you are alive right now and without a Mark on your arm…" he gritted out. Draco's hand snapped to his left wrist. When he'd realized what he'd done, his eyes turned steely as he glared at Harry.

"Oh, and you know so much about this how?" he sneered. Harry averted his eyes. Draco nodded once in understanding.

"I know because I watch," was what the Boy-Who-Lived answered.

"Right…" the blond said. "Because you love her…" There was a half-smirk on his face, almost like he was laughing at himself, not just Harry.

"Yes," Harry confirmed. "But I'm not the only one." Harry decided that was enough. He and the Slytherin Prince had been in each other's company for more than five minutes and there hadn't been any blows or hexes thrown. He'd rather not take the chance and turned to walk out of the infirmary. Draco waited until Harry was part of the way out of the door.

"Our love will end up getting her killed, no matter whom she chooses in the end," he said. Harry turned to see the other boy staring intently at him. He only stared back.

"I know that the risk is there. But I suspect you knew that already," Harry said finally. "And I don't think it changes anything for either one of us… Besides, in the end, we could all be dead." Draco didn't say anything and Harry continued on his way. Harry had left something unsaid, but it had come across plain as day when Harry had stared back at him. _There was no choice for her…_ The unstated thought almost floated through the empty room.

But Draco wasn't alone for long.

"In literature, as in love, we are astonished at the choice made by other people," Dumbledore's voice echoed through the room. "I always forget who said that…" Draco looked over to the headmaster in shock.

"Excuse me?" he asked as the old wizard approached his bed. Dumbledore tapped the book in his hand.

"Just reminiscing over some of what I've learned in my many years," he said with a small smile. Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"And what has it got to do with me?" Draco asked.

"Plenty, as I'm sure you already know, Draco," the headmaster said. With a flick of his wand, a chair pulled itself to the side of Draco's bed and the old wizard sat.

"I don't seem to know anything anymore," Draco said bitterly as he looked away from Dumbledore and out the window next to him.

"It was brave of you, what you attempted to do, Draco," the headmaster said. Draco's head snapped around to stare at him, astonished.

"How's that again?" he asked, not knowing what to do with the praise. Dumbledore smiled.

"It may not have been very intelligent, but it was brave all the same," he said, crossing his hands over the book in his lap. Draco sneered, but refrained from saying the nasty things that sat at the tip of his tongue.

"How would you know what I was attempting to do?" he asked instead. There was another twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes as he looked at Draco.

"I may be an old man, my boy, but that does not mean I do not have my ways about things," he said. There was a moment, a small, almost insignificant moment that Draco was curious as to what ways the headmaster would employ. But then Draco realized he wasn't all that sure he wanted to know. Instead, he decided to hit upon the subject he was sure they were both circling around.

"I am not Potter, you know. I am not going to save the world for you," he said.

"Is there a reason that you feel yourself unsuited to such a task?" Dumbledore asked curiously. Draco was silent for a long moment as a list of reasons ran through his head. But there was one thing he could say that would be universal and hopefully put the argument to rest.

"I am Slytherin…" Draco said, looking away from the headmaster and feeling it was enough explanation. Dumbledore smiled another of his many smiles.

"You know, I was almost a Slytherin," he said, a mischievous enough twinkle in his eye to make Draco believe it was true. "It is _very_ rarely known that Tom Riddle was almost a Ravenclaw for all of his cleverness. Even Harry Potter was almost a Slytherin…" Draco's head snapped around to stare at the old wizard. Dumbledore only continued to smile.

"You, Draco, could have made a brilliant Gryffindor."

"How's that?" Draco asked, a sneer in his voice.

"You could have easily been among the most brave, the most honorable. But it was your father's influence that led you to the most cunning and the most ruthless. I am not saying one way is better than the other. I am just saying that there is so much potential in you. I don't think you realize how much." Draco stared at the headmaster. He'd never heard such words said to him before. The encouragement and the faith in Dumbledore's voice… those positive words were usually reserved for the likes of Potter. Not a Slytherin, and certainly not a Malfoy. Dumbledore shook his head a Draco stayed silent.

"No, you are not fully aware of your abilities. But the Dark Lord is. It was why he ordered your father to kill you. Even if Lucius had given you the Dark Mark, you would not have been allowed to live," the professor said. Draco smirked.

"Not up for a bit of competition, now is he?" he asked. Dumbledore smiled.

"Tom Riddle has never stood up against competition well. He was always jealous of those who bested him and greedy for the power to best them in return… It is that resentment and that anger that turned him into what he is this day," he said giving Draco a meaningful look. The blond had the grace to look slightly abashed.

"I know my mistakes, Professor. I am fully aware of where lesson and logic diverge," he said. The headmaster nodded.

"I know you do, Draco. And I am sorry for the things it took for you to understand the difference. But I am not altruistic enough to not be thankful for it as well," he said. Draco nodded. He understood because he felt the exact same way. That summer between fifth and sixth year had provided enough lessons for Malfoy propaganda to take a back seat and Draco's own logic to kick in. He'd witnessed why his father was the feared right hand of Lord Voldemort. And he witnessed what would happen to the world should Voldemort win this war - to Muggles and wizards alike. The Death Eaters were so blind in their subservience that they did not realize the doom they were walking into with smiles on their faces and a self-importance that didn't exist.

"It was horrible… all the blood, all the screaming… all the _children_…" Draco said with a hard swallow. "I don't want to be a part of that. I still hear their screams in my head, and I still see all of that blood when I close my eyes. I can't live with that." Dumbledore's eyes were solemn as he reached a comforting had to Draco's shoulder.

"I am sorry for it," the headmaster said. Draco shook the arm off and gave the old wizard as near to a glare as he was willing to try.

"What are you sorry for? Me having to see and be a part of that? Or are your more sorry for the death, destruction and fear of your beloved Muggles?" he asked, his lip turning up into a sneer. Dumbledore, as patient as ever, just let Draco's anger flare up and blow itself out.

"I am sorry that such suffering exists in the world," he said. Draco, not knowing what to say that _wouldn't _sound callous and insensitive, stayed silent. He may not want to be a part of what Albus Dumbledore represented, but that did not mean he did not respect the wizard.

"Voldemort grows stronger and he plots even as we sit here," Dumbledore said. Draco scoffed.

"Then shouldn't you be sequestered away with your Boy Wonder plotting as well?" Draco asked. "If Voldemort's getting so much stronger, the longer you sit here, the more time you're wasting." Dumbledore smiled.

"Voldemort was in the forest tonight," Dumbledore said. Draco's eyes widened. The headmaster smiled at the boy's shock. "He was there, but he was forced to flee before he could make himself known…"

"Why was he there in the first place? It was my father's plan," Draco noted. The headmaster nodded.

"That it was, my boy. Your father himself wishes for the Dark Lord's reign. But there are others who covet your father's place," he said. Draco's eyes darkened.

"Warrington," he said. Dumbledore nodded.

"Yes. He wishes to see your father dead by Voldemort's hand. But he's been waiting for your father to kill you," he said.

"Why wait?" Draco asked. Dumbledore couldn't help but smile.

"As I said, you would have made a great Gryffindor. Impetuousness happens to be a trait of ours. Whereas, taking the simplest way out is a trait of the Slytherin House. Warrington would rather your father kill you than dirty his own hands. Voldemort wishes you dead and it is your father's mistake that you are not. Cole Warrington is merely biding his time," the headmaster said.

"It is good to know that I have one of the most powerful wizards in the world _and_ my father after me," he muttered more to himself than anything.

"At Hogwarts, you will remain safe. That is my promise to you, Draco," Dumbledore said. Draco remained silent for a moment.

"Why are you doing this? I did nothing for you. I will do nothing for you," Draco said, shifting in the uncomfortable hospital bed.

"You are here, under my protection _because_ you did nothing," Dumbledore said. "Because your name is Malfoy, all saw a Mark on your arm, a mask on your face and black the color of your robes… including yourself whether you realized it or not…" _All but one had left you to it…_ The thought floated between the two, but remained unspoken.

"But you are also a Black, Draco. Let us not forget that," Dumbledore said. "I foresaw it coming to such an end, my boy. Such warring blood in such a strong young man. You will be a powerful wizard one day… a rival in strength to our own Harry Potter."

"I don't want to rival Harry Potter in _anything_ anymore," Draco said suddenly, his eyes tired and his pale form slipping lower in the bed. "I'm tired of having to prove myself to everyone…" Dumbledore smiled knowingly.

"You've proven more than you would ever imagine but just saying those words, Draco," he said in his soft manner. The blond haired boy looked up to him, seeming younger than his seventeen years.

"You're not going to try to recruit me?" he asked the headmaster. Dumbledore smiled again and shook his head.

"No, Draco. It's enough for me to know that you will fight for what is yours," he said. Draco looked down at his hands.

"I have nothing, Professor," he said quietly. Dumbledore put a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"You have your life, Draco. You have your beliefs and you have your future. Those hopes alone make a man wealthier beyond their dreams. You may have been thrust into a world in which you are unaccustomed to, but it is this chance that will test you and make you into the wizard you were meant to become, the wizard I know you can become. It will make you aware of strengths you never knew you had. _That_, Draco, is not nothing," Dumbledore said. The two sat in an unfamiliar, amiable silence and Draco shifted on the bed and looking to his hands.

"How is…" he started, but immediately closed his mouth. Dumbledore smiled again.

"Miss Weasley is fine, Draco. She is quite concerned for your well-being, but she is fine," the headmaster said. He said it in such a way that had Draco looking up at him. Professor Dumbledore had known. He'd know all these years... and he'd been able to recognize it before Draco even knew it had been there. The headmaster set a hand on the teenager's shoulder and gave it a reassuring pat.

"It is often said that we choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them. I forget who said that… but what is meant, Draco, is that our path is laid before us the moment we are born. Where that path leads, no one will know until they reach the conclusion. But the choices we make while continuing the journey will lead us to a future as yet unwritten," Dumbledore said in his normal, cryptic way. Draco let the words absorb into his brain. Maybe all of this would be worth it in the end… Then the blond shook his head. He couldn't let himself think of hope just yet. There were more trials ahead, and hope would only cloud his mind.

"What… what happened after…" he started. The old wizard smiled.

"Your father and Voldemort were both forced to flee… the power, love and loyalty of all together proved too strong for them alone," Dumbledore said with a happy twinkle in his eye. But it was soon extinguished. "But Voldemort will return. And he will return sooner than we could possibly anticipate with all his supporters. But we will be ready…"

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Dumbledore's Office..._

"Are you telling me that my children – _all_ of my children..." Molly Weasley started.

"Not Percy..." Fred and George piped up causing their mother to turn a heavy glare on them. They immediate slouched in their seats in an attempt to hide.

"... marched without care into the Forbidden Forest and tried to take on a group of Death Eaters on their own?" Molly finished. Professor McGonagall stood regal in Dumbledore's stead as she confirmed Mrs. Weasley's high-pitched question.

"They did not _try_, Molly. They _did_ take on the Death Eaters... and did an admirable job of it, if I may say so," the professor said. Bill and Charlie smirked and Fred and George sat up straighter in their chairs.

"The only one that skived out was that slimy Malfoy," Charlie grumbled. Molly turned to her children.

"Why on earth would you do such a thing?" she asked. Bill met his mother's angry gaze.

"We thought Ginny was in trouble," he said. Charlie nudged him and gave his older brother a glare. Fred and George caught on.

"Oy, why are Ginny and Ron spared this?" George asked. "It was all Ginny's idea..." Fred nodded in agreement as he leaned over to his brother.

"Methinks a Bogey Bomb in their beds will teach them their lesson..." Fred sat up straight and shut his mouth as Molly Weasley's eyes narrowed.

"Worry you not, George, Fred. There will be howlers abound," she said. The four Weasley children present winced at the deadly calm in her voice.

"Look what you've done," Charlie whispered to Bill. The older brother just shrugged.

"She'll deserve every second of it pulling a daft stunt like that. Mum doesn't even know the half of it. And all to help a bloody Malfoy for Merlin's sake. I'll have to take her to task for that later..." he said. Charlie eyed their mother.

"If Mum doesn't take her to task first..." he said as he watched the Weasley matriarch grab the nearest twin by the ear and stand him up. Both Bill and Charlie reached up unconsciously to rub their own ears. Their mother then pointed to the door of Dumbledore's office and began to march her children out.

"Mum, I've got to meet Fleur..." Bill started, but was cut off.

"Fleur will have to wait, William. I have a few more choice words for the lot of you when we get back to the Burrow. I'm sure your father will have something to say as well," she said.

"But Mum..." he started, but Molly pointed a finger at him.

"I don't care how old you are or give a flying fig about how you're going to be married. In fact, since Fleur is going to be part of the family, it may be wise to include her on the discussion," she said, a thoughtful look on her face. Bill swallowed hard. 'Discussion' was no where near the term of what things would be at the Burrow if his beautiful Fleur was included. The woman could rant and rave in French for hours. Even Charlie had a look of panic on his face at the inclusion of his sister-in-law-to-be.

The moment of apprehension was broken as the twins broke into snickers. Bill frowned before he cuffed the both of them on the head as they made their way out the door.

"Professor Dumbledore will want to bring the Order together soon," Professor McGongall called to Molly. The other woman acknowledged the statement with a nod as she watched her children step into the stairway.

"Don't you worry, Minerva. The Weasleys will all be there," she said.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Infirmary..._

"You should be asleep," a feminine voice startled Draco from staring out the dark window. He turned to see Ginny standing in the infirmary door.

"I was, for a while," he said before turning to look back out the window.

"You've done a good job of fooling everyone," she commented. Draco gave a non-committal sound.

"I've had to do a good job. The only sure bet of those who will stand by me are Goyle and Zabini. They are loyal to me to the end. I hadn't known about Crabbe until he betrayed me to his father, who in turn informed my father. And Pansy… she'd have had the Dark Mark at birth if they'd allowed it. Along with most every other bleeding Slytherin. To survive my common room, everyone had to think I was going with my father. You included, since everyone that mattered seemed to know about us," he said. Ginny didn't move from where she stood, but her eyes roamed his lanky body, making sure he was truly all in one piece.

"What about the other Slytherins? The ones that think as you do?" she asked. Draco continued to look out at the dark night.

"They're as good as dead," he said simply. Ginny was startled by his frank answer.

"Surely Dumbledore…" she started. Draco let out a quick, humorless laugh.

"Dumbledore can't save everyone. Not from the Dark Lord," he said, finally. Ginny stepped further into the room.

"So, what exactly were you trying to do, Draco?" she asked. "Besides getting yourself killed…"

"I was trying to kill my father," he said softly. He still didn't look at her.

"Is that all?" she asked. Draco turned stormy eyes to her.

"It was all that mattered at the moment. I can't say what I would have done after if I'd accomplished it," he said darkly. Ginny approached the bed and sat down on it.

"What is it you want most, Draco? What is it you are so bent at trying to get?" she asked.

"My freedom…" he said simply. "I am not free to enjoy anything, I am not free to love anything… I am not free to live as I wish or believe as I wish…" With a sigh, Draco pushed himself up off the bed and stood. He stood at the window, his back to Ginny.

"I am tired of having death hang over my head. Not just the threat of my own, but of everyone and everything. Over the past two years I have thought of everything I have been taught, everything that has been an integral part of my life and I have weeded out what I don't believe in," he said, then he turned to look at her. "I am not good. I don't have your ideals and I certainly don't believe in everything you are willing to die for. Do I believe that wizard kind is better than anything Muggle? Yes. But I am not evil. I am not willing to stand by and watch as perfectly innocent people are slaughtered in their homes. I am not willing to watch as children are burned alive or made to watch as their parents and siblings are tortured…" His voice had become hoarse and when he turned to give her a glimpse of his profile, she could see he had been transported to another time.

"Draco…" Ginny started, but he turned completely to look at her and stopped her.

"It would probably be best if you let me be, Ginny. Go home to your family, to your brothers. You're safer there. Go home to Potter…" he said. He turned away from her once more, and she realized that he did so in order to keep her from seeing his icy mask crack. She'd walked away from him once before and it had torn her heart out. Only now did she realize that it had done the same to him. There was no bloody way in hell she was going to walk away now.

"I can't leave you be, Draco, no matter how much you may want me to do so. I can't because I love you," she said softly. He didn't turn around, but she could see his muscles tense. Ginny took a step closer, then another, and another until she was an arm-length away. She reached out a hand and it had barely touched his shoulder when he finally spun around, eyes blazing.

"Don't…" he hissed, gripping her wrist to keep it away from him. His hold on her was almost bruising, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she just continued to watch him. It took a moment for Draco to realize how he was holding her. His fingers loosened slightly and he fell to his knees, a pained look on his face. Draco was silent as he reached out and drew her closer to him. His arms went around her waist and he pressed his cheek into her stomach. Ginny's hands softly caressed his shoulders and her fingers toyed with the short hairs at the back of his neck.

He clung to her and she relished his need for her. After those dark days of missing him, it felt good to have his arms around her again. She was startled as she felt a wetness seep into the cotton of her t-shirt. Rather than call attention to it, which he wouldn't thank her for, she just held him closer. His arms tightened as the weight of the strain and anguish he'd felt over the past few weeks and this last showdown with his father finally broke Draco's icy façade. Ginny stayed silent as the Prince of Slytherin cried.

After a few moments, Draco's shoulder's relaxed and the fierce clutching around her middle became an embrace. There were another few moments of silence before he finally stood. His face was dry as he held her away from him and looked at her. One of her hands reached up to lay against his cheek.

"I'm sorry, Draco," she said.

"For what?" he asked. Ginny looked away from him and dropped her hand.

"For not trusting you," she said. Draco couldn't help but chuckle.

"And what were you supposed to trust?" he asked. When she looked up at him, he reached his hands up to cup her face. "I'm a Slytherin and you're a Gryffindor. I'm a Malfoy and you're a Weasley. What in that inspires trust?" Ginny shook her head.

"None of that matters," she said. Draco closed his eyes and let his hands skim down her sides.

"I know that now," he said. "I just don't know what to do now. I had it all planned. I'd face my father, kill him, refuse the Dark Mark, go into hiding…" Ginny reached up and squeezed his hand.

"And then what?" she asked. Draco gave her a self-depreciating smile.

"I never said it was a brilliantly full-proof plan," he said. Ginny couldn't have loved him more than she did in that very moment. She smiled back at him in understanding.

"We can get through this. There will be a way… I survived; you survived…" she said. Draco's grip on her arms tightened slightly.

"I survived because you stood by me, you silly girl. I've never had that before in my life and you almost got yourself killed," he said, his voice cracking slightly. She smiled as his eyes clouded over for a second. Then, she stepped closer to him and hugged him around his waist.

"But I didn't. And my family stood by you as well. They will continue to stand by you," she said.

He wrapped his arms around her, knowing full well that it wasn't love for him that had forced the Dark Lord to flee. It was the love the Weasleys felt for this girl. It was the loyalty that her family provided. And since she… _loved_… him, that loyalty was grudgingly extended to him as well. It was enough. For now, it would be enough. A clearing of the throat caused both Ginny and Draco to turn towards the door.

Minerva McGonagall looked upon the two teenagers with her usually stoic face, but beneath that she was surprised at the unashamed embrace. When she'd lamented the state of House Unity and inner-house relations, Professors Dumbledore and Snape would often get a look in their eyes and one of them would say something along the lines of it going better than expected. Now, she understood some of that confidence. Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley would have been a pairing that she never would have believed if she hadn't just seen it with her own two eyes. If they could get along in this light, then she couldn't see how others couldn't get along in the getting along sense.

"Miss Weasley, curfew has passed. I'll give you a few minutes to say good-night," she said in her normal terse manner before sweeping out of the room. Draco looked down at Ginny and she grinned up at him.

"I guess this is goodnight," she said. He leaned down and kissed her quickly before she could leave without one. But rather than run, she lingered over the kiss and held him closer. Without a mind that her Head of House was standing just outside the door, he wrapped his arms around her. They would have to treasure these moments when they could get them. Because they both knew that Voldemort would strike soon, and when he did, everything would be blown to hell.

_We all had delusions in our head  
We all had our minds made up for us  
We all had to believe in something  
So we did  
We all had our reasons to be there  
We all had a thing or two to learn  
We all needed something to cling to  
So we did_

_-Alanis Morissette, 'Forgiven'_

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**


	17. Part XVII

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Early the next morning..._

Harry stood in Professor Dumbledore's office not knowing why he had been called there as soon as he had woken up that morning. What made him even more uncomfortable was that Professor Snape was sitting in the chair directly next to him. Every now and then, Harry would look over at the greasy-haired professor just to make sure he didn't have that smug, superior look he usually wore when he knew Harry was getting in trouble.

"Potter, it's rude to stare," Snape said in his usual, put-upon voice. "If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise, point that scar in the other direction..." Harry pursed his lips to keep from saying something he _knew_ he'd get in trouble for.

"Ah, Harry... Severus... it's good of you to come," Dumbledore's voice greeted as he descended his office stairway to where his desk sat.

"I don't believe that there was much choice in the matter," Snape said as he re-folded his arms over his chest. Dumbledore smiled.

"There is always a choice. But some are harder to see," he said as he sat into his high back chair and placed his hands on each of the armrests.

"Excuse me, sir. Why have you called me here?" Harry asked, ignoring Snape's roll of his eyes. The headmaster smiled.

"Well, Harry, I have called you here because I have heard a rumor and wish to know if it is true," he said. Harry frowned.

"What rumor?" he asked, confused.

"That you plan on re-forming Dumbledore's Army, nee Defense Association," he said. Harry's glance darted nervously to where Snape sat, his dark gaze focused on something ahead of him and sitting as if he hadn't heard what the headmaster had said.

"Sir..." Harry started, his eyes darting to Snape once more. Dumbledore waved a hand in dismissal of the concern.

"It is alright, Harry. Professor Snape is fully aware of what the DA is. In fact, it is why he is here," the headmaster said. It would have been an understatement to say that Harry gaped at the new information.

"He... he knows about the DA?" he asked. This time, Snape turned his gaze to Harry.

"I have known about your little ragtag group for some time now, Potter. And the fact that I haven't done anything against it should hopefully quell some of that continuing suspicion you have of me," he said. Harry let out a small snort of disbelief before he could catch himself. Snape glowered and continued. "I may not like you, Potter, but I know what you are capable of and I know what you are meant to do." Dumbledore smiled.

"And it is because of that knowledge, among other things, that I wish you to instruct Harry in the magics unknown to us..." the headmaster said. Both Harry and Snape turned to gape at the old wizard.

"You want me to teach this..."

"I can't learn from him. The last time..."

Both of their protestations came out simultaneously. And Professor Dumbledore, infinite in his patience, let both of them stew over the new development until they were all out of condemnations of the other. Once quiet resumed over the office, the headmaster stood and walked around his desk to stand behind Harry.

"The Dark Arts are often a feared and hated realm of magic. But in battle we cannot fear or hate what we must fight, otherwise it will defeat us," the old wizard said, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Professor Snape is knowledgeable of many of the Dark Arts and it would be wise for you, Harry, to learn as much about it as you can. And once you do, prepare your friends to fight against it."

Harry looked over at Snape. It looked as if the Potions professor had swallowed something distasteful.

"You want me to teach Potter how to use the Dark Arts so that he may go teach his friends?" the dark-haired man asked, incredulous. Dumbledore let out a breath.

"You make it sound as if I were trying to encourage the use of the Dark Arts, Severus," he commented. The other man blanched.

"I wouldn't say 'encourage'," he said in veiled confirmation. But Dumbledore only smiled.

"I wouldn't say 'encourage' either, Severus. I wish Harry to learn from your experience and your past so that he may be prepared for whatever he may encounter," he said. Snape remained silent, but Harry could see that the man was thinking this over. Then, with a stiff nod, he stood.

"Very well. I'll agree to it," he said. Harry's jaw dropped open slightly. Snape was never known to be so magnanimous with his time, especially where Harry was concerned. Harry's jaw snapped shut when Snape turned stormy eyes to stare at him.

"I will contact you on our first meeting time, Potter," he growled out before turning and storming out of the room in his typical manner. Harry remained silent but turned back to Professor Dumbledore.

"Now, Harry, let us discuss what it is you are to learn," the old wizard said as he resumed his place behind his desk.

It wasn't until he was halfway to the Great Hall later that he realized that he hadn't been given the chance to agree to this new arrangement. Harry wasn't sure if that comforted him or worried him.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Ginny entered the Great Hall later that morning to see Ron, Harry and Hermione saving a place for her. There was a thunderous look on her brother's face as he looked at her, but Ginny just smiled. Ron leaned over and muttered something darkly to Hermione. The other girl just frowned and shook her head.

"Good morning, Ginny," Hermione greeted. Ginny sat down next to her.

"Good morning, Hermione," she said happily. Ron scowled at her from across the table, so Ginny turned to Harry.

"Good morning, Harry..." she said. Harry smiled, but only muttered a small greeting in return. Then, Ginny picked up a piece of fruit and immediately started to eat it. Ron's scowl only darkened.

"Are you not even going to say anything to me then?" he asked. Ginny's attention was on the apple in her hand.

"You seem to be in a shirty mood this morning, so I'm not even going to open myself up to whatever attack you have planned," she commented. With that, she stood up and started towards the Great Hall entrance. Whatever reply her brother had on the tip of his tongue was cut off by the screeching of an owl. Ginny turned to see the Weasley owl, Pigwidgeon, drop a suspicious looking letter into her brother's hands. With a smile, she turned to leave her brother to his howler, but was suprised with an identical looking letter was dropped into her hands as well. Pig took that moment to flop onto her shoulder. Ginny glared at the owl, but the animal only looked back at her as if to say 'I'm not the one that went off and got into trouble.' Grudgingly, Ginny gave the owl a piece of her apple. After a flutter of departing wings, Ginny rushed out into the hallway in order to avoid the howler going off in front of the entire Great Hall. She heard the screaming voice of her mother as the door closed behind her as Ron had apparently opened his own. With a sigh, Ginny opened the red envelope and prepared herself for the worst.

"GINEVRA MOLLY WEASLEY! WHAT IN MERLIN'S GOOD NAME WERE YOU THINKING! YOU ALMOST GOT YOURSELF, AND YOUR BROTHERS, KILLED! YOU WILL BE COMING STRAIGHT HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, AND YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR PUNISHMENT THEN..." the howler immediately tore itself up and Ginny watched as the red bits of paper floated harmlessly to the ground. With a sigh, she flicked her wand and cleaned up the mess. It actually hadn't been as bad as it could have been...

"You've gone and got yourself grounded, Weasley. I'd find that amusing if it didn't affect my enjoyment of the holidays as well," a familiar voice drawled. Ginny turned to look at him with a smile.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital wing still?" she asked. Draco shrugged.

"I'm all in one piece," he said. She looked him over as he approached and noted with a pleased nod that his limp was nearly gone and the bruises on his face had become a little less noticeable.

"So, how is my being grounded affecting your holiday enjoyment?" she asked. Draco smirked.

"I had hoped to convince you to stay..." Ginny winced as the thought of being alone with him took root in her thoughts.

"Brilliant, you've just gone and ruined my holidays. Now, all I'm going to be able to do is sit at home and think of being here with you," she said. Draco shrugged before he leaned in and kissed her.

"At least I won't be the only one then," he said as he leaned back. Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck, ever so careful of his still fading bruises and cuts.

"Are you going to be safe here?" she asked, concern causing her brow to wrinkle. He reached up and rubbed it away.

"Safer than I would be at home with dear old dad... or anywhere else, for that matter," he said. Ginny frowned.

"I didn't mean the question to be taken lightly," she said. Draco sighed as his hands settled on her hips.

"I know you didn't. I'll be safe here," he said.

"You could always come to the Burrow," Ginny said. Draco raised a brow.

"That eager to see a loved one die, are you?" he asked. Ginny chuckled.

"I suppose it _would_ be just as dangerous," she admitted. "I could teach you a few deflecting charms..." Draco rolled his eyes.

"You're so sure that _I_ would be the one that needed them?" he asked. Ginny smirked.

"I do have six brothers. I'd place my galleons on them getting a few hexes through your gigantic ego," she said.

"Your family has _heard_ of galleons?" he asked in mock shock. Ginny swatted his arm.

"Stop being such a prat," she said. He pulled her closer and bent to kiss the spot just below her ear.

"I'd take care. You know how it affects me when you call me that," he said. Ginny chuckled even as a shiver ran down her back at the caress. She then tightened her hold around his neck and just held on to him. For a quiet moment, they just clung to each other, grateful that they were able to do so again. But that moment was cut short as a clearing of a throat caused them both to look up. It seemed as if every moment they found alone was doomed to be disrupted.

"Draco..." Blaise said. The pair didn't let go of each other as they looked to the dark-haired boy.

"What is it Blaise?" Draco asked, annoyed at the interruption.

"Snape wishes to see you," he answered. Ginny looked up at Draco, but he continued to look at Blaise. He acknowledged his friend with a tight nod and the other Slytherin took himself off.

Ginny had felt Draco tense the moment Snape's name had escaped Blaise Zabini's lips. Her worry at him being safe within Hogwarts walls returned full force.

"Draco..." she started, but he didn't seem to hear her. With a hand, she turned his face and his attention back to her. "Is everything alright?" Draco blinked down at her for a second before the tension slipped from his muscles.

"It should be," he said. The Potions professor had yet to speak to Draco since being brought back to Hogwarts in an unconscious state. It would be interesting to hear what the man would have to say to him. Hopefully it would not include a vicious scolding only Severus Snape was capabale of giving.

"I will find you later," he said before giving Ginny a quick kiss on the forehead. He released her and began to walk away but she caught his hand, suitably stopping him.

"Will you tell me about it?" she asked. Draco looked down at her for a second and then gave her a nod. No one in the past had ever wanted to know anything about him or what he went through... and if telling her put such a look of happiness on her face in the future, he'd gladly tell her anything she wished to hear.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_The Great Hall..._

"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione leaned over to ask. "You've been quiet all morning." Ron snorted.

"Isn't it obvious? The world's all topsy-turvy... That's what's bloody wrong. Ginny's gone mental... Malfoy..." the redhead shook his head as he picked at his breakfast. If anything would curb his appetite it would be the thought of his sister and Draco Malfoy. Hermione frowned at him.

"I doubt Harry has been obsessing over that situation like you have, Ronald," she said. Ron shook his head and played with the red bits of paper from his howler.

"I can't believe you knew about it and didn't tell me," he muttered. Hermione's chin went up.

"I did _not_ know. I had suspicions. And I only found out by accident," she said. Then she turned to Harry. "Forget Ron and his unseemly obsession with Malfoy. You would think he was jealous or something..." Harry grinned at that, but Ron stood up, his face red.

"You take that back! Take it back right now, you... you... you..." he stumbled.

"You will keep a civil tongue in the Great Hall, Mr. Weasley," Professor McGonagall called out from her seat at the head table. Ron glared, but sat down and remained silent. Hermione arched an eyebrow at her boyfriend, but decided to let him stew on his own. She turned to the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Now, Harry, spill it. There's something bothering you..." she said. Harry let out a breath.

"You know how I told you that we should probably reform the DA?" he asked.

"Yes," Hermione answered as Ron nodded empatically, his mouth full of breakfast. Harry leaned closer to his two friends.

"Well, Dumbledore wants me to learn the Dark Arts from Snape..." he said softly. Ron's eyes went wide and he choked slightly on whatever he had been ingesting.

"The Dark Arts?" he asked. "Isn't that a bit... much?" Hermione studied Harry for a moment.

"He wants you to teach that to us, doesn't he? He thinks that if we don't know it..." she said finally, trailing off at the morbid turn of her thoughts. Ron nearly put his elbow in his breakfast as he leaned over the table.

"Do you honestly think this is a good idea? I mean look at what happened the last time around when that git tried to teach you something..." Ron said. Harry looked up at his friend.

"Yes, I do think it is a good idea. I don't know much about the Dark Arts besides a few defense tactics here and there. I may have received an Outstanding in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Voldemort will require more than a Patronus or a Ridikulus charm. That I'm sure of," he said, his gaze sliding down to look at his hands.

"But Harry..." Ron started again, but Hermione interrupted.

"Ron, Harry's right. Voldemort will use every trick in the book to try to kill Harry, and you can be sure that the Death Eaters will do the same to kill the rest of us. We will need to know what we can do to protect ourselves. And what better way to do that than to learn the magic that will be used against us," she commented.

"But it's _Snape..._" Ron said with a disgusted look. Harry smiled.

"Think of it this way... if I can put up with his unpleasantness, then I can certainly put up with a whole lot more," he said. Ron rolled his eyes and smiled back.

"It says a lot that I'd rather be in your position with bloody Snape than to have to think about my sister..." he said, the smile gone and a sick look on his face. "... Malfoy..." The tall redhead shuddered and put his forehead in his hand. Hermione reached over to rub his back as she sent Harry an amused smile before her look turned serious.

"Learn as much from him as you can, Harry. He used to be a Death Eater... he knows how they work. The DA will need to know that," she said. Ron looked at her.

"What do you know?" he asked suspiciously. Hermione's hand dropped from his back as she leaned forward to whisper.

"Ever since Professor Sprout was killed, I've seen the professors adding more wards to certain areas of the castle," she said, sending Harry a meaningful look.

"Meaning the secret passages..." he said, thinking of the Marauder's Map. Hermione nodded. Ron frowned.

"What's that got to do with anything?" he asked. Hermione let out a soft sigh.

"I think it means they're anticipating an attack on the school," she said. "And they are taking all the precautions they are able to take..."

"Meaning that the DA has just become more important than we were originally planning it to be," Harry caught on. Hermione sat up straight.

"Exactly," she said. Ron let out a heavy breath.

"Then I say learn all you can, Harry," the redhead said as he realized that their coming problems would be a lot more worrisome than Snape's snarky attitude. "And if you can find a spell to do away with spiders, I'd be grateful..." Harry smiled at his friend's attempt to lighten the mood.

"If we haven't come across one by now, Ron, I doubt I'll stumble across one while learning the Dark Arts," Harry chuckled as he stood. Ron and Hermione followed suit.

"But Harry... they're bloody _spiders_... Dark Arts if I'd ever seen a creature of the like," he muttered as the trio made their way out of the Great Hall.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_The dungeons..._

Draco pushed open the classroom door and looked around the darkened room. It wasn't like Severus to call a meeting and then not be there.

"Professor?" Draco called into the room. There was no answer. "Severus?"

"Over here, Draco," the Potions professor's voice answered. Draco turned to see Severus approaching with an armful of old texts.

"Zabini said you wished to see me?" he inquired. Severus gave a nod of his greasy head as he sat down in his desk.

"I have something that we need to discuss," Severus said. Draco nodded and closed the door behind him.

"What is it?" he asked, crossing the room to where his mentor sat. Severus let out a weary sort of sigh.

"Draco, I am sure you are aware that the hope of the wizarding world – and the world in general – rests upon Harry Potter's shoulders," he said with a sneer. Draco mirrored his professor's expression.

"I'd prefer to be unaware of it, sir," Draco said. Severus smirked.

"I believe we all would," he said. Draco clasped his hands behind his back as he stood in front of Severus' desk.

"Excuse my impertinence, sir, but what has Potter got to do with me?" he asked. Severus stood.

"The war against the Dark Lord in on the verge of bursting into the wizard and Muggle world alike. The headmaster has asked me to begin training Potter in the Dark Arts," the dark haired man said. Draco's brow went up in suprise.

"The do-gooder practicing the Dark Arts? That would be as likely as me becoming study-buddies with Granger..." he scoffed. Severus made a face at the image his student presented.

"Then perhaps you should work on your ability to resist verbally eviscerating the insufferable know-it-all. I have worked with Potter in the past. And if it means the end of this bloody war, I will work with him again," Severus said. Draco made a face.

"If you must," he said. "But how is this supposed to affect me?"

"Because I expect you to assist Potter in whatever way _you_ can," Severus ground out. Draco recoiled in angry suprise.

"You want me to help that twit? With what? What could Dumbledore's favored possibly learn from me?" he asked with a sneer. Severus slapped his hands down on his worn desk. His obsidian eyes pinned Draco where he stood.

"Do you not understand what it means to be at war, Draco? Do you not understand the stakes?" he came near to yelling. Draco crossed his arms and glared at the man he considered a father.

"I know perfectly well what war means and I know perfectly well what stands to be lost," he said back. "You were with me when those points were made unmistakably clear to me..." Severus let out a sigh as he sank into his chair.

"I am sorry, Draco. I know that you are aware of what is happening," he said. But he returned a steely look. "But that does not mean you can shirk your responsibilities in this matter..." Draco scoffed.

"And Potter's my responsibility? How'd that come about?" he asked, crossing his arms. Severus sat back in his chair and looked at the blond boy.

"Potter is not your responsibility. But imparting what you know _is_. You have been immersed in the Dark Arts the better part of your life, Draco. Merlin knows that Harry Potter has not. You know Voldemort will use that to his advantage," the Potions professor said. Draco closed his eyes at the duty being handed to him.

"I told you. I want no part in this war," he gritted out. When he opened his eyes, Draco saw Severus looking tired and worn.

"I know, Draco. And I will do my part to keep you out of it," he said. Draco's shoulders fell.

"This whole mess sounds as if you want to drag me right into it," he said. The chair squeaked as Severus sat up straight and looked squarely at Draco.

"Do you want Voldemort to win? Do you want to be a part of the world where Death Eaters rule and torture and pain become a part of everyday life?" he asked pointedly. Images from two years ago flitted through Draco's mind and he could almost smell buring flesh once more.

"No," he said weakly. Severus lifted his chin and looked down his nose at the teenager.

"Do you want to live in a world where you must constantly run, where you must constantly hide because your life is forfeit?" he asked. Draco looked to the ground.

"No," he said again. With his eyes downcast, he did not see the almost indistinguishable smirk on Severus' face.

"Do you want to live in a world where Ginevra Weasley will be constantly hunted in order to torture, violate and murder her?" he asked. Heated blood rushed to Draco's head so quickly that all he could hear was the sound of it pounding in his ears. Before he knew it, he was standing before Severus' desk, his wand drawn and his Potions professor being held against the wall by invisible bonds.

"Do not utter such filth in my presence ever again," he said, the ice in his voice nearly palpable. Severus was slowly lowered back to the ground with a look of amusement and shock warring over his pale face.

"I take it that was a no, then?" he said, straightening his robes and then leaning down to pick up the fallen chair. Draco's glare was as cold as his voice had been. In his mind's eye, the blond could see images from his dream... Ginny protecting her child from an unseen predator... Ginny, dying to save that child...

"What do you want me to do, then?" Draco said, turning from his professor.

"Dumbledore has expressed a wish for Potter to learn from me. And he will. There are things that he could learn from me. But there are things he can learn from you as well. Between the two of us, I believe he can learn more about the Dark Arts than he ever wished to know. Unfortunately for him, it may be those Dark Arts that will save him in the battle with Voldemort," Severus relayed. Draco nodded.

"Fine. I will do my part," he said before he turned back to look at Severus. "But do not _ever_ use Ginevra as leverage to get me to do your bidding again. The fact that you are very nearly family to me will not hold me back..." The Potions professor studied Draco for a moment.

"It isn't wise for your feelings to be this close to the surface, Draco. I understand that for seventeen, nearly eighteen years all emotion has been suppressed in regards to you. But there is intelligence in that supression, no matter how misguided. Your feelings for Miss Weasley could very easily be used against you. It has been short of a miracle that nothing has happened to her thus far," he said. Draco was silent as he paced in front of his mentor. Then, he stopped.

"I know..." was all he said. Then, without another word he left the room, leaving Severus gazing at the doorway with concern.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Elsewhere..._

"_Crucio..._" Lucius Malfoy writhed in pain as the curse was leveled at him. He'd lost count of the times he'd endured the Unforgiveable. All he knew was that he'd soon be dead. There were chuckles among the small group of Death Eaters that had been allowed the honor of seeing the Dark Lord's favored punished.

"Now, Lucius..." Voldemort's voice rang through the small room. "You may think I am going to kill you. But there is a higher purpose in keeping you among the living. You have been my loyal servant and high commander of my armies. That, in and of itself, would not be enough to keep you alive..." Again, there was a chorus of chuckles.

"Yes, My Lord," Lucius managed to grate out. The curse was dropped and the man slumped to the floor, his eyes unfocusing.

"But there is something else, something much more important, that makes you worthy of being kept alive..."

When Lucius Malfoy returned to his wife much later, he was nearly unrecognizable. Her blue eyes took in his appearance without a flinch.

"What has happened?" she asked in an unaffected voice. Lucius' stormy eyes met hers.

"The Dark Lord has happened across my plans for Draco..." he growled. Narcissa nodded.

"And what is to happen next?" she asked. Lucius threw off his cloak and glared at his wife.

"He knows what you have done," he said. "He has always known..." Narcissa stood as calmly as possible, even as her hand – hidden in the skirt of the dress she wore – shook slightly.

"Draco?" she asked. Lucius sneered as he turned to look into the fire.

"He is to die by my hand," he answered coldly. Narcissa turned to look into the flames as well, as an icy wave of dread washed over her. It should have been expected, this turn of events...

"Then that is what is to be," she said, her own voice cold in response to her husband.

"Yes, it is," Lucius said, pain still radiating through his body and the need to make his son pay for his betrayal almost as overwhelming as the curse had been.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**


	18. Part XVIII

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Later in the afternoon..._

He knew she would be outside. It was actually a fairly endurable day outside, the sun peeking out from behind the clouds. Being locked away in the castle over the winter months was something he knew she detested.

He'd walked around the grounds for a little while to clear his head. In fact, it had been a long while. It came as a suprise to him that Severus would so willingly instruct Potter in the way of Dark Magic, but it came as an even greater suprise that his Head of House expected Draco to do so as well. And for Severus to be so Slytherin in such a meeting and bring Ginny into the conversation in the manner he had unnerved him somewhat. So, Draco went in search of her, just as he had promised.

She was sitting by the lake, her cloak and robes protecting her from the cold, snowy ground. Her bright red hair blew lightly in the afternoon wind as she sat with her back to the castle, and to him. Without warning, Ginny stood, and Draco wondered for a moment if she'd sensed his presence. But when she wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm and continued to stare out at the lake, he knew she was immersed in whatever thoughts she entertained.

"You know, Gin, a mountain troll could have come up behind you and I doubt you would have ever noticed," he said, causing her to spin around and look at him with wide eyes.

"Draco..." Ginny sighed. Then, without hesitation, she embraced him. "Is everything alright?" It took a moment, but Draco finally found his voice. He wouldn't let his worry about the future distract him.

"Everything will be fine," he said. Ginny pulled back enough to look up at him.

"What's going on? Why all the need for the secrecy?" she asked. Draco smirked.

"I'm going to be Potter's magic tutor," he revealed. Ginny lifted a curious brow.

"Magic tutor? You?" she asked. When Draco shot her a look, she just rolled her eyes.

"Actually, it will be me and Severus," Draco answered dryly. Ginny frowned.

"Why would..." she broke off and her eyes met Draco's. "Oh."

"Does it frighten you?" he asked, tightening his arms around her. She leaned her cheek against his chest.

"The Dark Arts? Yes. You knowing the Dark Arts?" she asked, looking back up at him. Her eyes met his once more so he could see her seriousness. "No." His fingers came up to gently run over her jawbone. Then he leaned in to kiss her wind-chilled lips.

"No more talk about the coming war, Dark Arts, or... Potter," he said. Ginny smiled against his kiss.

"I wish I were staying for the holidays," she sighed as they parted and started to walk back to the castle.

"Yes, well, you're the one that went and pissed off her Mum and got herself imprisoned in Shack de Weasley," he said.

"Don't," Ginny warned.

"Don't what?" Draco asked innocently. Ginny gave him a look.

"Don't get me cheesed off at you," she said. When Draco was about to say something, Ginny cut him off. "And yes, I know that you are Draco Malfoy and that getting people cheesed off at you happens to be what you're good at..." Draco rolled his eyes.

"You are right lucky I am a bloke who doesn't take offense at much," he said. Ginny giggled as she hugged his arm closer to her, her cheek resting on the rough wool of his cloak. Draco Malfoy was Draco Malfoy and there was going to be no changing him. She found a strange comfort in that. They walked in silence as they made their way into the main doors and started down the hallway towards the dungeons.

"I can't believe Professor Dumbledore moved the Yule Ball to the night before we leave for the holidays," she said conversationally. Draco let out a small huff in disagreement.

"All of our activities this year have been moved about. Why not keep to tradition and cock up all of our plans?" he asked sarcastically. Ginny smiled.

"But it won't be so bad," she said. "Mum's actually allowing me to get a new dress for the dance. What color do you think I should get?"

"Is that your way of hinting at going to the Yule Ball together?" he asked, looking over at her. Ginny blushed slightly. It _had_ been the subject of her thoughts at the lake. She had wondered how she could go about casually bringing it up. Here he'd gone and done it for her...

"It might," she said. Draco smirked.

"Why, Miss Weasley, this is so sudden," he said. Ginny poked him in the chest.

"Don't you dare be a prat about this," she said. Draco was silent as he looked at her making her nervous as to what he was thinking. Then, he suddenly swept her up in his arms and she let out a suprised shriek.

"I warned you about calling me a prat, Gin," he said with a smirk. Ginny pushed at his chest as he started to walk towards his private room.

"Draco!" she protested. Draco just looked around the deserted hallway, the spun to look behind him. Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck as his spin disoriented her.

"Quiet, Weasley... you're lucky no one was about," he said. Ginny's eyebrow rose at his warning.

"Back to 'Weasley' are we?" she asked as they entered his room. "Perhaps I should just get back to Gryffindor..." Draco rolled his eyes.

"I thought we were going to discuss this Ball travesty," he said. Ginny's brow rose.

"Maybe we should discuss you being a prat first," she said, her face serious, but her eyes alight with something different. Draco smirked.

"I adore a woman who can prioritize," he said. Ginny laughed as he set her on her knees onto his bed.

"You wouldn't be saying that if I prioritized the other way..." she said with a smile as he stepped close to her.

"That's entirely possible," he said, pulling her body in contact with his and leaning down to kiss the spot where her shoulder and neck met. Ginny let out a sigh.

"Prat," she said on a breath. She could feel his grin against her skin and she pulled at his hair to bring his lips up to hers.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Dumbledore's Office..._

The headmaster sat behind his desk with a worried expression as the Potions professor relayed the days earlier events to him.

"It could have easily been wandless magic," Severus said. "And some of the most powerful, most accurate wandless magic I have ever seen..." Dumbledore steepled his fingers across his chest and tried to think about the implications of such news.

"I knew Draco could be powerful. But wandless magic is a bit beyond even what I would have imagined," he said softly. Severus' gaze was just as concerned.

"I don't believe Draco realized the severity of his actions. I don't even believe he was aware he had done that to me," the dark haired man said. "I can see now, why the Dark Lord is so adamant to have the boy dead. And I can see why Lucius is so set on having Draco among the Death Eaters..." Dumbledore nodded.

"Draco could easily take over Voldmort if he knew he had the power to do so. But alas, I believe Voldemort is untouchable to all but Harry. That is the way of the prophecy. Lucius' plan is but folly. Only he is too arrogant and power-hungry to realize it."

"How are we to go about this with Draco?" Severus asked. Dumbledore stood and paced behind his chair.

"You will be working with both Harry and the young Malfoy..." he said. "It would be best to try to instruct both of them on the art of wandless magic. With his Patronus so strong, Harry may or may not have the ability to do such magic. But it would be wise for him to be aware of the possibility." Severus gave the headmaster a tight nod. If Dumbledore was worried about Draco's abilities, it was enough to give even Severus pause about what the future would bring for his protege.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Later..._

When she opened her eyes, Ginny realized right away that she was not in her bedroom, despite the fact that the curtains were drawn and there was no light available to her to properly identify where she was. It was the warm body next to her and the slight scent of his cologne that told her she'd fallen asleep in Draco's bed. With a small yawn, she reached over to the curtain and pulled it open slightly. There was no light shining within his Head Boy room, but that was typical of the dungeons. It was no wonder as to why his skin was beautifully pale. Just as she was about to step off of the bed, a strong, lean arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her back.

"Where are you going?" his voice, not nearly as sleepy as it should have been, asked. Ginny flopped back onto the impossibly comfortable bedding and looked over at him. His hair was slightly mussed, his torso was completely bare and his eyes were closed.

"I was going to see what time it is," she told him. His arm tightened around her waist and he leaned foward to place a kiss on her bare shoulder.

"It's early Monday morning," he said before settling back down on his pillow. "Go back to sleep..." Ginny's eyes went wide. They'd missed dinner last night! And they'd fallen asleep only to sleep nearly through the night. This time, she scrambled from the bed to find her clothing – or as much of it as she could in the lack of light.

"Gin..." he groaned.

"Draco... it's Monday morning and I have to get back to Gryffindor tower. I have Transfiguration right away with McGonagall and I cannot be late to it," she said, slipping into her undergarments and slipping her shirt over her arms and leaving it unbuttoned. She looked to where he was leaning on his elbow looking at her. Even in the dark, she could see his smirk. When she looked down, she let out a huff as she realized that she'd put on his shirt by mistake. But rather than take it off, she just stood there.

"If you go back to the tower now, any of three things can happen. Filch could catch you, McGonagall could catch you, or your roommates could catch you and report you to McGongall... it's safer if you stay here," he said reaching over to pick up his wand when she started to regather her things.

"_Lumos_," he said and light infused the room. Ginny separated out the material once she could see properly and began dressing again.

"_Levicorpus..."_ Draco said again, and Ginny found herself floating in the air. Rather than shriek about it, she just crossed her arms with her socks in her hand and glared at the blond.

"Draco..." she said. He just shrugged.

"_Mobilcorpus..."_ he said and she floated towards him. Once she landed gently on the bed, he reached over and gripped the collar of his shirt. With a tug, he pulled her close and placed a kiss on her lips.

"I think I could probably stay a bit longer..." she said as they paused to breath. Draco gave her a knowing look and she hit his arm. "And don't you dare go thinking it's all because of you, you git. For the record, I just don't want to get caught..."

"Of course..." he said, laying back on his pillow. "And as good as my shirt looks on you, I doubt your housemates would find it so... appealing..." Ginny glared at him.

"It so happens that I can't find mine," she said. Draco just smiled innocently. He didn't _need_ to tell her he'd hidden it from her.

"But I wouldn't mind having to explain it to them," she said, standing up once more. He grabbed her wrist and tugged her down so that she fell over him.

"You wouldn't mind explaining why, exactly, you were traipsing back to bed wearing _my_ shirt?" he asked. Ginny frowned.

"No. Why? Would you?" she asked. Draco sighed.

"We've discussed this, I thought."

"Well, I'm sorry if your actions right now are making what we talked about earlier a bit suspect," she said, sitting up and crossing her arms, but not moving away from him.

"What actions?"

"Not letting me go back to my dorm," she said. Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He wondered if they would ever get to a point of trust beyond what they felt for each other.

"I just want you to stay, Ginny. No ulterior motives, no underlying shame or guilt or whatever else you may think I am feeling. We already agreed to go to the Yule Ball together," he said. Ginny let out a heavy breath as she fell into the space between his arm and chest and placed her head on his shoulder.

"I know. And I want to stay..." she said.

"So stay," he said back. Ginny looked at him and realized just how Gryffindor he'd been over the past week or so. Going off by himself, planning things that could probably get him killed, not telling anyone anything... those were qualities that Harry possessed in spades, yet it was what Draco had gone off and done. So, if he could be a little bit Gryffindor for her, she could be a little bit Slytherin for him. With a smirk of her own, she sat up and removed the shirt.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Gregory Goyle lay stunned on the cold floor of a place he had never seen before. He may not know where he was, but he certainly knew whose company he kept. The torture methods and the insane cackling told him that Bellatrix Lestrange had only started what she had in store for him.

Closing his eyes against the blurry sight of black robed figures, he only hoped that his body would give in to death before Bellatrix got to the methods of torture she was infamous for...

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Draco sat up straight in bed without really knowing why. His fingers were clenched in a death grip into the sheets. And when those sheets rustled from the bed's other occupant, Draco relaxed his fingers and closed his eyes as the coolness of the dungeons seeped into his damp skin.

Draco...

Draco's eyes snapped open and he looked over at the redhead curled under the blankets. She was fast asleep... yet it was her voice he'd heard. He'd lay his last galleon on it.

"Ginny..." he said softly, testing his theory. The redhead didn't move. Draco leaned down next to her and ran a hand over the tip of her exposed, bare shoulder. Ginny shuddered involuntarily, but did not wake. With a sigh, he lay down fully and wound his arm around her waist. He willed his eyes to close and to fall asleep next to the comfortably warm body next to his, but the dream that had apparently woken him had weaved its way through his mind enough that images seemed to float in front of his eyes.

The dream, this one different than the one he'd had before, very nearly replayed itself in his head. Yet there had been no sound except that one utterance of his name when he'd awoken. What it meant, he had no idea. What he was going to do about it, he had nothing to start from. Ginny sighed in her sleep and pulled his arm tighter around her.

With a sigh, Draco settled his head on the pillow and decided to get a few more hours of sleep before the inevitability of morning classes arrived.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_The dungeons, the very next afternoon..._

Harry stared at his Potions book with as much dislike as he was capable of feeling. It was really, actually, just short of hate.

"You are all seventh years. You have all had the pleasure of learning from me the subtle art that is potion-making. With everything you have learned, you all should be more than capable of making a Mind-Twisting Draught. This draught borders on the dark and is frowned upon in polite company. It runs along the line of the Confundious Potion and the Draught of the Living Death, among other things. I know of one student..." Snape said, looking at Malfoy with a slight twitch at his cheek. "... who has been able to brew this successfully." Harry looked over his shoulder to see Malfoy lounging back in his seat, arms crossed over his chest and a smug smirk on his face as he looked back at Harry. The Boy-Who-Lived frowned and turned back to glower at the ingredients listed on the page in front of him. Of course Malfoy had perfected something that had to do with anything Dark, and of course Professor Snape would assign it to the class in order to see them all fail miserably.

"Harry..." Hermione's whispered voice pulled him from his bitter thoughts. "... pay attention to what you are doing!" Harry looked at what his hand was holding and where he'd almost deposited it. Hermione had a reason to be concerned.

"Sorry..." he muttered, knowing that just a drop of the Slug Tonic would have dissolved their entire station in a matter of seconds. Harry looked over to where Ron and Seamus Finnegan were working. The redhead actually looked to be having a good time, which caused Harry's irritation to rise even more. In said irritation, he stuck the stopper further into the tonic bottle than necessary. He took a little bit of satisfaction in that if Snape needed the Slug Tonic from this particular bottle anytime in the future it would take a little longer than usual to get it.

It took Harry and Hermione nearly all the Potions time to complete their assignment. It would have taken longer if they had actually had to brew the Slug Tonic themselves. At the end, though, the liquid in their cauldron took on the silvery, shimmery quality that the text described. By the time Hermione had bottled their product, the rest of the pairs were leaving the classroom after placing their offering on Snape's desk. Harry took a deep breath to prepare himself for whatever verbal stabs Snape had prepared for him and marched the bottle Hermione had handed him to the front. The professor looked down his hooked nose at the bottle in Harry's hand then back to The-Boy-Who-Lived with a glower that seemed to be reserved just for him.

"Passable, Potter. Just barely," Snape said as he looked at the potion in the bottle. Harry set the potion on the professor's desk. When he turned to go back to his station, he saw Malfoy roll his eyes and then sneer at the bottle on the desk. The Slytherins close to him all snickered as he said something under his breath.

Harry couldn't help but smirk. Malfoy was obviously irked at the hostile, grudging compliment offered Harry from his beloved Head of House. Just as Harry was about to sweep by the blond boy with a smug smirk of his own, there was a small sound... a sound of a bottle breaking. Harry spun around to see that the spot where he'd set his potion now only a spattering of glass and a shimmery liquid.

"Harry..." Hermione warned him as he prepared to stomp forward and demand an explanation from Snape as to why it had been _his_ potion that met a grisly end. Ron stepped up next to the pair.

"Ol' Snape seems just as suprised as you," the redhead muttered grudgingly, hefting his school bag higher on his shoulder. Harry took another look at the greasy-hair professor to see him looking at the mess on his desk and then turn a wary, almost concerned gaze to a spot behind the Trio. Harry cast a quick glance behind him to see Malfoy sitting in the same spot, in the same position, his look as stoic as ever. The group of Slytherins that stood next to him flicked a glance to their silent Prince and then resumed talking amongst themselves. Harry was entirely sure that he wasn't comfortable with that. The three quickly left the Potions room before Snape could find his tongue enough to start subtracting points.

"I don't get it... why was Snape all weird about Malfoy? It's not like we didn't know that _Snape_ was the one that broke our potion," Harry said. The trio walked through the hallways quickly in order to get to Arithmancy on time.

"I don't think Snape _was_ the one to break it, Harry," she said, still a little upset that their hard work had been ruined.

"Who, then?" Ron asked. Hermione looked around to make sure no one was around.

"I think it was Malfoy..." she whispered loud enough for the two boys to hear. Ron frowned.

"Malfoy! How could he have done that?" he asked. Hermione gave the boy a pinch on his arm to remind him he was being to loud.

"I think it was wandless magic," she said. Harry's eyes went wide as they turned down the next corridor.

"But Malfoy couldn't do that. Wandless magic is unreliable. For Malfoy to have broken that bottle, he would have to have been standing right next to it and concentrating much harder. Even then, he probably would have only tipped the bottle, not broken it," he said, trying to remember the lessons they'd had on wandless magic. Hermione sighed.

"I'm well aware of that, Harry. But that is in regards to a _normal_ witch or wizard," she said. Ron snorted.

"And we all know how bloody _normal_ Malfoy is," he laughed. Harry still looked thoughtful.

"Are you saying that Malfoy has the power to do stuff like that?" he asked. "Snape was an accomplished Death Eater and he is far more powerful that Malfoy would be at this point..." Hermione lifted an eyebrow.

"You said 'would be'..." she noted. Harry sighed. Ron shook his head.

"I like Harry's Snape theory. The man is a shirty bugger. He'd do it just for spite," he said. Hermione shook his head.

"He was just as suprised as us. It was genuine from what I could tell. And you saw all the looks that the rest of the Slytherins gave Malfoy. They all know something. And it involves Malfoy..." she said. Ron frowned as they stopped in front of the Arithmancy room to finish their conversation.

"So, you're saying that Malfoy could be some sort of secret, all-powerful wizard without Dumbledore knowing about it?" he asked. Hermione just shrugged as if to say it was possible.

"Great. We've got to worry about Voldemort, but we've also got to worry about Malfoy and what he could be capable of..." Harry muttered. Hermione held his arm to keep him from going in to class.

"His father tried to give him the Mark, Harry. And when he refused, they tried to kill him. Chances are Voldemort wants Malfoy just as dead as you. This could be a chance to find out once and for all where Malfoy stands," she said. Her suggestion was met with silence as the two boys looked between themselves. Ron shifted his bag once more.

"Let's get to class. We can worry over Malfoy's machinations when we don't have to worry about what adds to what to make what..." he said. Harry smirked at him.

"Machinations? Been spending a lot of time in the library, then?" he asked. Hermione rolled her eyes as she walked into the classroom, but she was fighting a blush. Ron couldn't fight it even if he tried. His face was tomato red when the three finally walked into the classroom.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Two nights later..._

"Are you coming with us?" Hermione said as she applied one more charm to Ginny's hair. Ginny looked in the mirror at herself and mentally applauded the choice of dress that she and Hermione had chosen. Then, she thought over the question her friend had asked her. She didn't want to say why she didn't plan on going down with the trio, but Ginny suspected the other girl knew. Besides, the three of them had been acting strange for the past few days. She _knew_ they were up to something and keeping her out of it, as usual. It was yearly tradition, so Ginny tried not to be all that upset about it.

"I don't think so," she said after another look. She straightened the skirt of the dress and ran a hand over it to smooth it down. There was a smile on Hermione's face when Ginny looked up.

"He actually agreed?" she asked. Ginny smiled in return. After the emotional chaos of the past few weeks, she had finally spilled all the details to Hermione, needing someone to talk to about it all. Hermione had been uncharacteristically attentive whenever the subject of Draco came up. It really wasn't that much of a suprise. Due to the fact that Ginny and Ron hadn't spoken properly in the past few days, she figured that Hermione was playing reporter for her brother.

"Strangely enough, it was him that brought up the going together," she said, playing with a strand of hair that had come loose from the ponytail sort of style Hermione had done for her. The other girl replaced the hair with a quick sticking charm.

"I find it hard to believe that Draco Malfoy has a death wish," she giggled. Ginny looked at her curiously. Hermione just shrugged.

"Your brother is going to be there, of course. But just think of the reaction of everyone in Gryffindor..." she said. Ginny bit her lip apprehensively.

"Maybe this wasn't such a brilliant idea," she muttered. Hermione shook her head.

"I disagree. I think it will do wonders for everyone to see a Slytherin and a Gryffindor getting along famously," she said with twinkle in her eye.

"Thank you for telling Ron, by the way," Ginny said as she grabbed her cloak. Hermione looked over at her in suprise.

"How did you know I told Ron?" she asked.

"He hasn't talked to me once in the past three days..." she grinned. "It has been the bestfew days of my life..." Hermione chuckled.

"I just wanted to save you the ranting and raving... which was long and arduous, just so you know," she said. Ginny winced.

"Sorry," she said. "Hopefully he's gotten a bit used to it..." Hermione chuckled again.

"Your brother get used to his sister seeing a Malfoy?" she asked. "You'd do better dating Voldemort himself..."

"You think he's been bottling it up for me the past three days then?"Ginny asked, shuddering at the thought of her friend's previous suggestion. Hermione gave her an arched look.

"It's quite possible. In fact, I'd probably expect it..." she said. Ginny groaned as she strightened the hem of her dress.

"He's going to ruin tonight, isn't he? And then I'll have to go home for the holidays and hear about it from the rest of my family," she said. Hermione fixed a curl of her own hair before turning to the redhead.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," she said with a proper lift of her chin. Ginny grinned.

"If anyone can tell my brother differently, it would be you," she said. The bushy-haired girl blushed slightly at her friend's words.

"Yes... well..." she started before looping an arm through Ginny's. "Shall we go to the common room?" Ginny nodded as she let the older girl lead her out of the Head Girl's room and to the common room. Couples within their house had started to gather, and those who were going with dates from other houses fidgeted slighty in wait.

"Hermione!" Ron called from where he sat. His eyes were wide as he jumped to his feet and took in his date's spectacular appearance. Ginny smirked at the way her brother's eyes wouldn't leave Hermione's.

"Ronald..." she answered him.

"You look amazing..." the redhead breathed out. Ginny started slightly at the presence next to her.

"I'm amazed he didn't stutter that," Harry said lightly to her, a grin on his face. Ginny grinned back as they both turned to watch Ron approach Hermione and give her a light kiss. The Gryffindors present in the room all hooted and hollered at the first real display of affection between the pair. Ginny chuckled as both Ron and Hermione turned bright red.

"About bloody time, Weasley!" Seamus Finnegan called. Dean Thomas laughed.

"You lot were about to drive the rest of us loony!" he added. Seamus grinned.

"Yes, what with all the cow-eyes, pathteic faces..." he said before leaning over to hear what Lavender Brown muttered to him. He looked up with a roll of his eyes. "... and those bloody fights!" Ginny grinned.

"I have a strong suspicion that the fights are going to be a part of their charm..." she said. Ron looked over at her with a glare as the common room erupted in laughter again.

"Oh, shut it," Ron growled as he took Hermione's hand in his. "Haven't we all got someplace to go?" The group looked amongst themselves before they all started towards the door. Ginny waited behind as the rush to get to the stairs commenced.

"Aren't you going?" Harry asked. Ginny smiled.

"I'm supposed to wait," she said. Harry sighed, knowing for whom she was waiting.

"Is he embarrassed to be seen with you or is he afraid all of Gryffindor will pound the pure, blue blood out of him?" he asked. Ginny's ears tried to catch an animosity in the question, but all she could hear was resignation.

"Harry..." she started, but Harry shook his head.

"Never mind me, Ginny," he said with a reassuring smile. "Just know I'm here for you if you need me." Ginny took his hand and squeezed it.

"Thank you, Harry. That means more to me than you'll ever know," she said. Harry dropped her hand and started to follow the rest out.

"Harry," she stopped him, her curiosity getting the better of her. He turned. "Who are you going to the Ball with?" The Boy-Who-Lived shrugged.

"No one," he said. "I believe I'll be better off by myself..." With that, he stepped out of the portrait door and was gone. Ginny couldn't help but wonder if his words were more prophetic than he'd intended. With another look in one of the common room mirrors, Ginny decided that her hair and her dress were as good as they were going to get and went to the portrait as well.

"Ginny!" a voice called to her as she exited the common room. Luna Lovegood stood at the foot of the stairs. Ginny hadn't spoken to the blonde girl much during the year and hurried down the stairs to greet her.

"Oh Luna! I'm so sorry I haven't seen you much," Ginny said as she gave the other girl a hug.

"It's alright, Ginny, we've all been a little distracted this year," she answered with a smile. Her blue eyes drifted down to corridor and then back to Ginny. "Was that Harry I saw leaving just a moment ago?" Ginny nodded.

"Yes, it was," she answered. Luna's eyes lit up.

"Did he..." she started, but Ginny's chuckle cut her off.

"No, Luna. We're not going to the ball together," she said. Luna's face fell.

"Oh..."

"I'm not upset about it at all," Ginny reassured her. "So, who are you going to the Ball with?" Luna scuffed her foot slightly on the stone floor.

"I'm not going with anyone, really," she said. Ginny looked confused.

"Not even Neville?" she asked, knowing that they'd spent time together in the past and they had seemed fairly close at the beginning of the school year.

"No," Luna said with a shake of her platinum head. "Susan Bones seemed to have struck up the nerve to ask him to go and he was too much of a gentleman to turn her down..." Ginny couldn't decipher wether her friend was disappointed by this or not.

"Well, Harry doesn't have a date either. I'm sure he'd love to have a few dances with you," the redhead said. Luna smiled.

"That would be lovely," she said. "He and I could discuss the heated topic of hippogriff and thestral cross-breeding..." Ginny looked appalled at the thought.

"Hippogriffs?" Luna nodded. "Thestrals?" Luna nodded again, a smile on her face. Ginny's own face scrunched in confusion.

"How is that even possible?" she asked. Luna looped her arm through Ginny's as they descended the stairs.

"Oh, you'd be suprised at all the possibilities that people are thinking up. My father did a report on a few of them. The Ministry was quite upset at him for a while there since the experiments they were conducting were supposed to be top secret," she rambled. At the bottom of the stairs, Ginny paused.

"Aren't you coming?" Luna asked. Ginny shook her head.

"I'm actually waiting for someone," she said. A pale eyebrow arched up, but the girl didn't say anything about it. Instead she squeezed Ginny's hand and started towards the Great Hall.

"I'll see you there," she said. Ginny let out a breath and made a mental note to search out Luna more in the future. She really was a great friend. But then as she found herself alone in the hallway, she wondered how many of those friends she'd have after she walked into the Ball. With a shake of her head to push the though away, Ginny stood straighter. She loved Draco. She was willing to risk her friendships for him since he'd nearly risked his life for her.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Ginny stood at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for him. She was dressed in ivory and her hair was pulled up and away from her face. She wore no jewelry, and Draco found he preferred her without those little trinkets. There was nothing to detract from _her_.

"You look stunning," he said, raising her hand in order to kiss her palm. Ginny smiled at the tender touch. She felt like a queen in her dress that had been expensive by Weasley standards. But she knew it wasn't the dress, the hair, or the light glamour spells Hermione had applied.

"Not nearly as stunning as you, I'm sure," she said. He wore black, as he always did. And he wore a dark gray Oxford that chased away the blue that occaisonally teased his eyes. Those very eyes drooped almost lazily as he smirked.

"Naturally, I'm stunning," he said, causing her to smile. Then he took her hand. "But tonight, you outshine even the natural Malfoy greatness." Ginny laughed.

"And if you keep saying things like that my confidence may just out-ego the natural Malfoy confidence..." she said, following him through the corridors that led to the Great Hall. Draco looked over at her.

"You're a mouthy little bint. How does your family put up with you?" he asked. Ginny grinned at him.

"By being mouthier than I am," she said. Draco chuckled as he tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and led her down the corridor.

"The holidays at the Weasley house must be a loud, tumultuous affair," he said. Ginny smiled.

"You have no idea..." she said. "I can only imagine what the next few years are going to be like, what with Bill getting married and the twins getting serious with Katie and Angelina... perhaps Percy... well, that's better left for another day." Draco frowned as he tried to keep all of her brothers straight.

"Percy... that's the git with the broomstick up his arse, yes?" he asked. Ginny laughed even though she was impressed by his ability to remember what she said in her angry ramblings.

"That would be an accurate description, I'd think. The broomstick has been up his bum since I can first remember him," she said.

"Perhaps he'll be the brother I'll get along with," Draco commented. Ginny looked at him as if he'd grown another head.

"Why, because you've got a broomstick up your bum as well?" she asked with a chuckle. Draco shook his head.

"Because he may be the only sensible Weasley to think with something besides his temper," he said. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"I'd like to see you carry on a conversation with Percy. You'd hex him into one of the cauldron bottoms he goes on about in less than a minute," she said. Then, she smiled. "In fact, I'll bet you that you would like my other brothers infinitely more after meeting Percy." Draco's face twisted at the thought of liking her brothers at all.

"Taking that bet would put too much importance in the thought of your brothers," he said as they stopped in front of the doors to the Great Hall.

"Draco..." her voice suddenly worried. When he turned back to look at her she bit her lip. "Are you absolutely sure?" Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Should I ask _you_ that question?" he asked back. Ginny's face relaxed.

"I am very sure. But I don't want you to get your face pounded in if this is something you really don't want to do," she said, her hand coming up to run over said face. He reached up and took her hand in his.

"You know very well, love, that if this was something I did not wish to do I would have told you to bloody well bugger off," he said. She relaxed even further and gave him a genuine smile.

"You would really tell me to bugger off?" she asked. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Haven't you learned a thing? I tell everyone to bugger off," he said. She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Shall we get this over with, then?" she asked. Draco didn't say anything, but nodded instead. By tacit agreement they dropped the other's hand and decided to make as little a spectacle as they could.

The two walked in the doors together, neither touching the other or saying anything. Silence fell over the Great Hall as students and faculty alike stared at the pair. The not making a spectacle part of the plan hadn't seemed to work so well. The only people that didn't look suprised were Zabini, Harry, Ron and Hermione.

Not to mention Snape, McGonagall and Dumbledore. The former looked mildly disgusted, but the latter two just smiled.

"If this is the reaction we get from simply walking in the door together, imagine what it would have been if we'd been snogging," he leaned over to mutter to her. Ginny brought a hand to her lips in order to stifle the giggle. It didn't work. The pair could almost hear the jaws hitting the floor.

"Well, we've suitably made an entrance," he said with his trademark smirk. "What say you to causing a veritable stir?" Ginny laughed again as she took his proffered arm and let him lead her into the room. The trio approached them as they made their way to the dance floor amid shocked stares. Hermione smiled at the two of them.

"You look beautiful, Ginny," she said to the redhead in order to head off an awkward silence. Ginny returned the smile in thanks and was about to return the compliment when Ron stepped forward. His jaw was clenched tight in anger.

"Malfoy..." he started, but Draco beat him to the punch.

"Sod off, Weasel. Haven't you better things to do that to have a bloody tantrum?" he asked. Ginny glared at Ron before subtley pinching Draco's arm in a reminder to be civil. The music started up and couples started to make their way to the dance floor as shock wore off.

"Malfoy..." Ron gritted out again. But rather than rise to the bait, Draco just took Ginny's hand and started towards the dance floor.

"Right nice weather tonight, don't you think?" he asked, with his usual edge of sarcasm, before spinning Ginny around into a dance. Ron was about to launch himself forward, but Hermione caught his hand.

"This is a dance, Ronald. Behave yourself and let's go dance," she said. Ron gentled his grip on her hand and maneuvered them so that he could continue to glare at Malfoy and his sister.

"He's provoking me by being unprovokable," he grumbled. Hermione couldn't help the grin.

"Yes, Ron. He's being a right git by not allowing you to ruin the night," she said. Ron looked down at her with a frown.

"You're alright with this... this..." he stuttered before nodding to where Draco and Ginny were dancing. Hermione looked over as well and studied the pair.

"Comfortable with? Not remotely. Okay with? I quite possibly could be. Encouraging? I would never do such a thing. But it is not my place, Ron, to tell your sister what to do," Hermione said, her grip tightening on his arms when he moved to say something. "And it is not your place either."

"But I'm her brother!"

"You are her brother and I understand that you are looking out for her. She understands it too. But telling her what she can and cannot do is not your job. You can tell her your concerns and talk to her about it, but dictating her life is not what a brother is supposed to do no matter how much he may love his sister," Hermione reminded him. Ron glowered over at the other couple.

"What do you know? You're an only child," he said. Hermione's lips tightened.

"If this is how you're going to be all night, then I think I'll leave you to yourself," she said as she disentangled herself from his embrace.

"Hermione..." Ron started, realizing his mistake. Hermione whirled to look at him.

"Look at Ginny, Ron," she commanded. Ron continued to look at his angry girlfriend. "Look at her!" Finally, Ron did.

"Does she look unhappy to you?" Hermione asked as Ron stayed silent. Ron shook his head. His sister actually looked content to be where she was. He had to repress a shudder at her being happy about being nearly _attached_ to the git.

"Does it look like Malfoy is insulting her or harming her in any way?" Hermione continued. Ron looked at the blond, but not without a glower. The ferret actually looked as close to happy as Ron had ever seen him. It was quite frightening, really.

"No," Ron grumbled. Hermione nodded.

"Good. Then leave them be," she said. When she moved to walk away from him, Ron reached out and grabbed her hand.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," he said, looking to the ground. "I don't want to ruin our night..."

"You came dangerously close, Ronald," Hermione warned, but her look quickly softened as she wound her fingers with Ron's. "I know you worry about Ginny. I can't help it either, since she's the closest thing to a sister I've got..." This was said with a slight blush. Ron couldn't help but smile.

"I know. I know. Ginny tells me to keep my abnormally large nose out of her business all the time. I'll try to be better about this... business, I really will," he promised. Hermione smiled beautifully up at him.

"I happen to like your abnormally large nose," she said before kissing him lightly on the corner of his mouth. Ron grinned and pulled her closer.

"Thank you," he said. Hermione looked up at him questioningly. He just grinned. "For putting up with an over-protective buffoon like me..."

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

"It would seem that along with the current threat, we will have another to neutralize..." a concerned voice said.

"Yes, Severus, I belive you are correct. It may end up working itself out as life plays out, but I believe it is something we will have to watch closely..."

"Albus, what do you think will happen to the boy?"

"He is such a confused young man. And he is experiencing things he never thought he would have. He is also a powerful young wizard without a direction. These things could end up harming him in the end, Minerva, and those he cares about."

Three sets of eyes watched as Draco Malfoy left his redheaded partner to her friends and secluded himself in a dark corner by himself. Severus' eyes narrowed as he saw the dark form of Blaise Zabini approach the other wizard. He'd had suspicions about that one. Just as he'd had suspicions about Vincent Crabbe. And now that Gregory Goyle has disappeared from Hogwarts, Severus could only grow more suspicious of Draco's 'most loyal'. The numbers of Slytherin House had thinned with Parkinson, Nott and a few choice others finding refuge at home with their Death Eater parents. He knew who the so-named traitors were now, but that did not mean there weren't more... Severus' eyes then went to where young Ginny Weasley stood, a smile on her face and trust in her eyes...

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**


	19. Part XIX

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Draco looked across the Great Hall to where Ginny stood talking with that Creevey character. There was something he didn't like about watching her speak to the blond boy. It wasn't that he was jealous. Creevey had been Ginny's little Gryffindor friend since her first year here and he knew that there was nothing to worry over.

Since he couldn't see Creevey's face, Draco watched Ginny. He had watched her enough in the past to know that she was uncomfortable, despite the smile on her face. It made him wonder what, exactly, the problem was. He was just about to cross the room when Blaise stopped him.

"What is it?" Draco asked at the other boy's concerned frown. Blaise Zabini, as image conscious as the rest of Slytherin and as easy going as a relaxed hippogriff, rarely frowned.

"Goyle is nowhere on school grounds," he informed him. Draco froze.

"Where is he supposed to be?" he asked. Blaise took Draco's arm and led him further away from the group of students who had convened near them.

"According to Morag MacDougal, Goyle has been feeling under the weather this week and has been holed up in Madame Pomfrey's care," he said. Draco frowned.

"How it that possible? I was in the hospital wing for the better part of two days. He wasn't there," he said, unfamiliar worry creeping into his voice. Greg Goyle was not one to wander off on his own without anyone being aware of it.

"He was not in the forest," Blaise said. Draco looked at the other boy.

"You would know this how?" he asked. The dark-haired boy did not meet Draco's gaze, but his face was emotionless.

"Because I was there," he said. Anger licked at the edges of Draco's calm, but he didn't let it get the better of him.

"You were there..." he said, processing the words. "And you did nothing?" Draco's anger was more for the fact that _Ginny_ had been in blatant danger rather than himself. Blaise finally looked at his friend with eyes so light blue that they were nearly white.

"What did you expect me to do, Draco, really?" he asked. Blaise knew that Draco expected more than most. But he also knew that Draco was more reasonable than he projected. "If I'd revealed myself alongside the Weasleys we would lose whatever advantage we have left. Warrington may not trust me, but the Dark Lord does..." Draco lifted a brow.

"Is there a reason the Dark Lord thinks you are still loyal?" he asked. Blaise let out a breath and looked across the room to where Ginny was taking leave of Colin Creevey.

"I told him of my plan to kill you," he said straight out. Draco didn't look suprised. He should have suspected as much.

"Why didn't you tell me this?" he asked. Blaise smirked.

"Why didn't you tell me of _your_ daft little plan?" he retorted, finally looking Draco in the eye. The blond let out a resigned sigh.

"Fine. How about Goyle? What do you think has happened? Where did he disappear to?" he asked.

"Someplace where we can't find him. Somewhere I don't have access to," Blaise said. "I was called to the Dark Lord yesterday evening and there was no mention of Goyle or who is watching over him." Draco gave a nod.

"Watch yourself, Zabini. We know there was one betrayer in Crabbe. We don't know who the others are. If my father wants me and Voldemort wants me, there is no telling when they will start to show themselves," he said. Blaise smirked.

"Your concern in touching," he said. "But I'd be more careful if I were _you_. You may not be the only one the Dark Lord wants..." Draco looked at him before his eyes slid to Ginny.

"You know something..." he said. Blaise shook his dark head.

"No. But there are darker magics being played with. I could feel that as I was in his presence," he said. Draco nodded again in understanding. Then he took his leave of Blaise as he saw Potter approach Ginny. She laughed at something Scarhead had said and Draco could feel a little twitch in his cheek. Ginny's back was was to him now, but Harry stiffened at his approach causing Ginny to turn and look.

"Potter..." he greeted as civilly as he could manage, but there was nothing civil in his glare.

"Malfoy..." Harry answered in the same tone, with the same look. Ginny took Draco's hand and he turned his attention to her.

"Draco, what's wrong?" she asked as they turned away from Harry. When Colin Creevey came back to join the Boy-Who-Lived, Draco pulled her away and towards the Great Hall doors.

"Goyle has disappeared," he said, his jaw tight as they made their way to an area where they could talk without being overheard. Ginny sucked in a breath. She had never really spoken to the big, hulking boy, but he'd always made sure she made it back to Gryffindor safe... even when she and Draco had their row.

"What do you think has happened?" she asked. Draco glared at her.

"If I knew, then I wouldn't have said he disappeared," he sneered. Ginny's eyes narrowed and she dropped his hand to put her hands on her hips.

"No need to get shirty..." she said. Draco glowered at her once more and then started to pace. Ginny watched him and realized that he was nervous – frightened, almost.

"You think they're going to come for you next," she said softly, her arms falling off her hips and wrapping around herself. Draco stopped pacing to look at her.

"I know they're coming for me next. Whoever 'they' are," he said, looking past Ginny to where Creevey stood laughing with the Trio.

"Why?" Ginny's voice asked. Draco chuckled as he reached out to take her hand and pull her close to him.

"Because they want me dead. I provide a threat to them. My actions as of late have caused quite a few desertions from the Dark Lord's future ranks," he said. "Look around. Do you see all the Slytherins here..." Ginny turned her head to see quiet a few black and green robes milling about the Ball.

"Yes," she said, turning back to look at Draco. He smiled a humorless smile as he looked around the room.

"The ones that are missing – Parkinson, Nott, Greengrass, Davis, Urquhart, Wilkes and quite a few others – they have gone to join their parents..." he said.

"The Death Eaters," Ginny muttered.

"Correct, Miss Weasley," Draco said in a tone that mimicked Professor Snape. "All the rest... they've found sanctuary from Voldemort here. All except Blaise, that is." Ginny's eyes snapped to the tall, dark-haired boy.

"Isn't he your friend?" she asked. Draco smirked.

"Friends, allies... those words don't really exist when there is war," he said. "But Blaise would be closest to those things than most. He goes home tomorrow, to join his parents in the service of the Dark Lord." Silence fell among them as they both watched Blaise Zabini chat up a few other Slytherins.

"I should go speak to Severus," Draco said. "He should know about Blaise..." When he moved to go see the put-out looking Potions professor, Ginny stopped him.

"What should he know about Blaise?" she asked. Draco shrugged her hand off his arm.

"That he will be with the Dark Lord," he said. Ginny shook her head.

"No. That's not it. There's something you are not telling me," she said. The blond sighed.

"Blaise has told the Dark Lord that he is going to kill me," he said. Ginny took a deep breath.

"So your 'friend' has created a situation where he must kill you or he'll be killed?" she asked, disgusted. Draco stepped up to her and took her chin in his hand to make her see his seriousness.

"What you don't understand Weasley, and you probably never will, is that in Slytherin there is always a situation of the like. It is how we have been brought up. All appearances from our ilk can be deceiving. I've told you this before," he said. Ginny jerked her chin from his grip, her brown eyes defiant.

"Yes, _Malfoy_, you have told me before," she spat. Then her shoulders sank and her look was more concerned than angry. "I can't help but worry, Draco. You live among people who would do anything to get what or where they want." This time, Draco's hand was gentle as he tilted her chin up to look at him again. His free hand came to rest against her cheek.

"Who is to say that it is only Slytherins who would do such a thing?" he asked. Ginny's eyes closed at the pain those words caused. She knew that there were those in other Houses that could be just as cunning and ruthless as those known to be in Slytherin. Her thoughts were cut off as Draco kissed her lightly. She opened her eyes as he leaned back, the serious expression still on his face.

"Do you trust Dumbledore?" he asked.

"Of course!" she said. Draco smiled.

"Then there is nothing to worry about. I will be safe here," he said. "In fact, I would be more worried about you."

"Worried about me?" she asked, confused at his line of thought. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Does the word 'howler' mean anything to you?" he asked. Ginny sighed. The thought of going back to the Burrow was almost dreadful to her.

"Ah yes. The wonderful, joyous, _festive_ holidays. It would probably be better for me if I got lost in the Floo Network..." she grumbled.

"It won't be that bad," Draco said. Ginny gave him a look.

"You have never met my mum. The woman can be a right harpy when she gets going," she said.

"A woman with a temper worse than yours? That's altogether frightening," he said. Ginny grimaced.

"I should _make_ you come with. She's ten times worse than a howler in person. And then when she's done, she'll try to stuff you fatter than an over-fed holiday turkey," she said, poking at Draco's slim waist. He grabbed her hand before it could make contact.

"I have full confidence that you, the littlest Weasley, can pout your way out of serious punishment," he said with a smirk.

"You don't know what 'serious punishment' equates to in the Weasley household," she replied. Ginny was about to say something else when she noticed that his attention was caught somewhere behind her. She closed her mouth and waited for whatever he was going to say. When his eyes focused on her, he was serious again.

"I'd best go speak to Severus," he repeated his earlier words. Ginny nodded. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Go back to Granger and your brother. I'll see you before you go..." With that, he left her in the dark corner of the Great Hall and crossed the room to where Severus Snape stood glowering at the student body.

As soon as he was gone, Ginny felt a presence behind her. When she turned, she was faced with Michael Corner.

"So... chummy with Draco Malfoy... Never expected that of _you_, Ginny," he greeted her. Ginny couldn't hide the suprise she felt at seeing him. She hadn't spoken to him since they broke up back in fourth year.

"Well, you talking to me right now is more than I ever expected of _you_," she said without malice. He smiled, reminding her of why she went out with him in the first place. Michael was such a quiet person, so very serious most of the time. It was no wonder that he and Cho Chang had hit it off back then. Whether or not those two were still dating, Ginny didn't know. She hadn't given Michael much thought after they had parted ways. But when he smiled, he was so handsome and brought another side to that serious persona.

"Aw, don't be that way, Ginny," he answered good-naturedly. Ginny smiled back at him.

"Be what way? Suprised that after nearly two years you decide that you can talk to me again?" she teased. He held out an hand to her.

"After two years, would you honor me with a dance?" he asked. Ginny smiled, but still checked over her shoulder where Draco was talking with his Head of House. When she turned around, Michael had stiffened and the smile was no longer on his face.

"That insecure, is he, about letting you dance with other guys?" he asked. Ginny frowned.

"No, it's just..." she started, but he cut her off.

"Never mind," he said before walking away. With a sigh, Ginny remembered with absolute clarity why she'd broken up with him. He was such a moody git. She made her way back to where Hermione, Ron and Harry were milling about. Her brother handed her a drink and looked at her appraisingly.

"What did that git Corner want?" he asked.

"He wanted to dance," she said. Ron frowned.

"After two years, he wants a dance? That's a bit dodgy, don't you think?" he asked. Hermione elbowed him.

"Not everyone has nefarious plans against your sister's person, Ronald. Perhaps he wanted to mend fences with Ginny. It is his last year here," she said.

"Mend fences... I'll show him mending fences," her boyfriend grumbled. Then he looked to Ginny. "Did your date toss you? Or better even, did you toss him?" Ginny smiled.

"No, Ron. No one was ditched," she said. The group chuckled at the dejected look that crossed Ron's face.

"Tonight is a nightmare," he muttered. Hermione turned to look at him.

"Oh really?" she asked. Ron blushed slightly when he realized what he said.

"Sorry, 'Mione. You know how my mouth runs away without me," he said. Hermione huffed.

"Indeed," she said, crossing her arms.

"I just meant that it's a nightmare concerning Ginny and... her date..." he said. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"You can say his name, you know. It's _Draco_... not 'her date', or 'that git', or 'Death Eater scum'..." she said. Ron looked horrified.

"I will not call that _thing_ by his name," he said. Ginny's face flushed in the telltale sign of Weasley temper. Hermione gripped her boyfriend's hand to keep him from losing it completely when Ginny deigned to say what she was about to say. The bushy-haired girl gave Harry a significant look.

"Then perhaps..." Ginny started before Harry caught on. He turned to Ginny, effectively cutting off the path to her brother.

"Dance with me?" Harry asked. It took her a moment to register the words, but when she did Ginny smiled and took his hand.

"Alright..." she said without looking over her shoulder this time. But she did fit in a glare towards Ron. Anything to get away from her brother and his blathering.

It wasn't until much later, as she lay awake in her bed staring morosely at the canopy, that she realized out of all the boys in Hogwarts, Draco would _never_ feel secure about Harry Potter. The reason he hadn't searched her out afer the Ball concluded became startingly clear.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_The next morning, the Burrow..._

"Gin, Ginny, Gin-Gin!" Fred greeted his sister as she walked in the front door. Ginny closed the door to the Burrow, leaving the cold wind outsidem, and looked to her cheerful brother in suspicion.

"Are you the first round?" she asked, unwinding her red and gold scarf from around her neck. Fred looked over his shoulder to see if anyone was about and then leaned closer to Ginny.

"Everyone's in the kitchen waiting to jump on you. Charlie's been pleading your case, but it's only gotten him in trouble with Mum," he said. Ginny smiled.

"And you're warning me because?" she asked, knowing that the coming subject at hand was one of contention even with the good-natured twins. Fred grimaced.

"I've had Mum's wrath recently... I figure I'd better prepare my favorite sister," he said. Ginny stuck an elbow in his gut as they made their way back to where everyone was waiting.

"I'm your only sister, you ruddy goof," she said. Fred grinned.

"Not if you count Percy..." he said. Ginny couldn't hold back the snicker, but sobered immediately when she stepped into the kitchen and found six pairs of eyes focused on her. Charlie was the only one that didn't have some sort of unpleasant look on his face.

"Um..." Ginny started. "... cheers?" She gave all of the faces a tentative smile. Molly Weasley looked to her husband.

"'Cheers' she says! Cheers!" she exclaimed. Then she turned back to Ginny and pointed to the empty chair at the tavle. With a sigh, Ginny slipped out of her cloak and sat. She'd escaped the Weasley Inquisition for nearly a week. She knew that this was not going to be pleasant.

"Okay, Mum, have at it," Ginny said, sitting back in the chair and waiting for the storm to begin. Molly let out a small whimper before leaning onto the table.

"You think this is just about me yelling?" she asked. Ginny swallowed hard as tears gathered in the corner of her mother's eyes. She could take her mother's anger, but her mother's tears were another story. "You think this is just about you going off and doing something completely daft? You almost got yourself killed! You almost got your brothers killed!" Molly took a breath and leveled her daughter a glare when she moved to speak. The Weasley matriarch paced in front of the stove for a few moments before she turned to speak again.

"Your brothers thought you were in trouble. They all went carting off to find you only to find you marching up to a Death Eater and putting yourself right in the path of danger. And all to save that Malfoy boy..." she said, disappointment and anger tingeing her voice. Arthur shifted in his seat knowing that his wife's scolding had finished for the moment.

"What have you got to say for yourself young lady?" he asked. Ginny looked to Ron, who sat at the other end of the table with his arms crossed over his chest and an unhappy look on his face. She was suprised that he hadn't blown his top about the complete story about Draco, especially to their mother.

"Ginny?" her father asked again. Ginny knew that there was no way around it anymore. Not with her family all sitting around her.

"I was saving that _Malfoy boy_ because I love him..." she answered so quietly that they barely heard her. It really shouldn't have come to a suprise... why else would a Weasley save a Malfoy. But each and every Weasley – with the exception of a knowing Charlie – gaped at her. There was a long moment of silence as Ginny fidgeted with her fingers and the rest of the Weasleys struggled with what to say next. But rather than say anything, Molly let out another whimper – Ginny couldn't tell if it was in anger or in distress – and scurried from the room. Arthur, pale as ever, stood and quickly followed. Ginny was just left with her brothers.

The silence continued on for what felt like hours. Ginny felt she shouldn't have to explain herself, but from the mutinous looks on the twins' faces and the look of confusion on Bill's face, she knew she'd have to say something.

"Who's this Malfoy bloke?" Bill asked finally. Ron sat back in his chair and looked at his sister. _Love..._ His sister _loved_ the stupid Ferret.

"A right git, that's who he is," he said. Bill frowned.

"Well, so are you. Yet Hermione puts up with you..." he said. Ron rolled his eyes, but Ginny couldn't help but grin.

"Strange, that's what I've been telling him all these years," she said. Ron stood, anger apparent in his eyes.

"What I am is _nothing_ compared to what that bloody Ferret is capable of," he gritted out, his face quickly turning red. "If you weren't so bloody daft you'd know that and drop him like the garbage that he is!" Recognition suddenly dawned on Bill and Charlie's face.

"The Ferret! That's the one you are always ranting about, isn't it? The miserable bloke from school?" the elder Weasley sibling asked.

"The junior Death Eater-in-training?" Charlie added, looking in shock to his sister. He'd heard all about Lucius Malfoy from their father, and after hearing Ron rant on and on about the Malfoy offspring he held no hope for any redeeming qualities whatsoever in that particular family tree.

"You have no right to call him that!" Ginny stood in anger. She could understand why Ron didn't like Draco. She could understand why Fred and George didn't like Draco. But for her two older brothers, who had not encountered _any_ Malfoy for longer than a passing glance, they should not judge so quickly. Charlie stood from his seat and went to put his hands on Ginny's shoulders.

"Gin..." he started. She glared at him as she shrugged his hands off.

"I love Draco," she said. Even with her eyes locked on Charlie, she could see Ron gently hit his forehead on the kitchen table in his infinite frustration. "And I don't care what any one of you says." With that, she left the room.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Hogwarts..._

"Draco..." Severus' voice interrupted his 'reading'. Draco looked up. "... a moment..." The blond snapped the book shut and stood from his place in front of the fireplace. There was complete silence as the two walked out of the common room and towards Draco's private room.

"As much as all these pleasantries amuse me, what is it you wished to speak about?" Draco asked, with a hint of sarcasm, as they stepped into his room. Severus turned around to look at him.

"Draco, I've been thinking aobut what you told me about Zabini," he said without preamble. Draco closed the portrait door behind him with a snap.

"And that means what?" he asked, tossing the book in his hand onto his desk. Severus took a seat in one of the Head Boy's opulent high-back chairs and leveled his pupil a self-satisfied look.

"I believe that I may have a way to keep Zabini safe within the inner circle, provide time to train you properly, and quite probably force the Dark Lord into making his next move," he said. Draco stopped pacing in front of the other man. There were so many questions that statement gave rise to, but he asked the most pertinent.

"And how is it you can do all of this?" he asked. The smirk on Severus' face made Draco slightly wary of the man's answer...

"By killing you..."

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_The Burrow..._

"Draco Malfoy..." Molly mumbled into her husband's shoulder. "Why did it have to be Draco sodding Malfoy?" Arthur tightened his hold on his wife.

"I remember a time when your parents were not entirely thrilled with the prospect of you marrying an oddball like me," he said with laughter in his voice. Molly looked up at him, tears still clinging to her cheeks. He reached up and wiped them away.

"But you... you were you. Not Draco Malfoy," she said. "And I don't want to think about our little Ginny marrying that... that..."

"Boy?" Arthur offered. Molly's brown eyes hardened.

"I was going to say Death Eater spawn..." she said. Arthur sighed. He could see from whom his youngest son got his temperamental nature. For years, Arthur had thought it his own temper that had rubbed off on his son. But lately, he'd seen more of his wife's temper in him. Just as he'd seen that same temper in his only daughter. He knew full well that Ginny was capable of running off and marrying the Malfoy boy out of spite. It was what Molly had done, after all. As much as Arthur Weasley hated Lucius Malfoy, he loved his daughter more. If she could find it in her to love that hateful man's son then Arthur would make an effort to see what, exactly, Ginny loved about him. Now, if only he could convince his wife to do the same.

"Molly, Ginny is a smart girl. She's sixteen and almost of age," he said. His wife nodded.

"I know that, Arthur. I guess I've always held out hope that perhaps Harry..." she started. Arthur chuckled.

"Harry's a fine boy. And we all know that our little Gin had quite the crush in the years past. But perhaps there is better out there for our daughter," he said. Molly looked at him skeptically.

"And you think better is Draco Malfoy? More even, than dear Harry?" Arthur shrugged.

"I don't rightly know, dearest. Who is to say they will even marry? But give Ginny the chance to find that out for herself," he said. Molly turned to look out of their bedroom window in silence. Her husband wrapped his arms around her ample waist that had provided him with seven wonderful children.

"They are all so grown up now," she murmured, tapping into his thoughts. Arthur nodded.

"Yes, they are..." he said. Anything he was going to say next was cut off by a loud crash from downstairs. Molly and Arthur shared a look before George's voice rang through the house.

"MUM! DAD! PERCY'S HOME!"

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

"What did you do to me!" Percy Weasley cried from his spot on the floor. Fred and George looked at each other with smiles.

"It's called the Weasley's Wonderful Warm Welcome..." Fred said as he watched his older brother squirm around and swat at the air as if there were fruitflies about.

"... once the smoke clears, the person who got in its way is attacked with invisible kisses and hugs a la our mother..." George finished explaining. There was a clearing of a throat.

"I wouldn't consider my welcomes an attack," Molly's voice interrupted. Fred and George turned to her with identical grins.

"You're never on our end," they said in unison.

"Kids the world over will want them to get at their parents for all those embarrassing moments," Ginny marvelled with wide eyes, every embarrassingly tearful moment her mother subjected her to rolling through her head. She immediately averted her eyes as her mother glared at her.

"It'll be a Valentine's gag," Fred explained. Percy coughed as he stood up, still attempting to ward off the barrage of invisible smooches and embraces.

"Gag or not, it's not proper to ambush someone as a welcome," he said stiffly.

"Who says you're welcome?" George asked, his eyebrow arched. The older boy's face fell in disappointment. Molly huffed and pushed past the twins to take Percy into her arms.

"All of my children are welcome in my home," she said, with a warning look at the rest of her children. Arthur still stood stiffly in the stairway as he looked at the son who had deserted the family in their desperate hour. Throughout Molly's fierce hold, the dishonorable son's eyes stayed locked on his father's. A tense silence overtook the Weasley house. Finally, Arthur's shoulders relaxed and he smiled, more at the rest of his family than at one son in particular.

"Come along, children," he said. "Your mother's had breakfast ready since Gin got home..." He neither acknowledged Percy nor discounted him as he brushed past the rest of the family back into the kitchen. Taking this as a happy sign, Molly took hold of Percy's arm and pulled him towards the kitchen. The rest of the Weasley siblings looked among themselves wondering just how disastrous this particular holiday season could get.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**


	20. Part XX

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Ginny and Ron stepped back into the castle feeling more tired and frazzled than returning from a holiday vacation should ever have a right to feel like. But after putting up with their parents, with Percy, and then the opposing opinions they each had on Ginny's life, it was understandable that the two youngest Weasley children were a little less than happy.

As soon as they entered the Gryffindor common room a loud, cacophonic greeting welcomed them back. Hermione immediately ran to Ron, dressed in her very own Weasley sweater emblazoned with a large 'H', and gave him a sweet kiss. Ginny's lip drew up in a disgusted sneer as she dropped her bag and gave Harry a quick hug.

"I can't believe someone actually _wants_ to kiss my brother... and I can't believe that person is someone as smart as Hermione," she said. Harry laughed before turning to look at the couple again.

"Well, it's official since she has her sweater. Your mum has been itching to give one to her for ages," he said. Ginny turned to look at the lavender colored sweater that had the girl's first initial somehow weaved through in a nice, bright white. It was funny how her mother could knit some of the most atrociously clashing pieces of clothing. Last year, Ginny had received a pink abomination. This year had been much better for everyone involved... a simple cream color for her. Her brothers and Harry had all received the traditional Gryffindor maroon and gold.

"And what better way to initiate than to give her the ugliest one available," Ginny snickered. That amount of purple on Hermione was nearly as sick-making as her pink had been.

"Yes, well, we've all had one..." Harry said, remembering his own disasters.

"How were your holidays, Harry?" Ginny asked. Harry sighed.

"Oh, they could have been worse. I could have been stuck at the Dursleys... I'd rather have been at the Burrow with you lot, though," he said. Ginny smiled.

"Yes, well... you missed a right mess. Mum and Dad pretty much fought the entire time over me being involved with Draco. Percy came home. Not to apologize, mind you, but to 'be near family during difficult times'. It's as much of an apology as we're all going to get, I'm afraid. So, Mum and Dad fought over that as well..." she said, then turned to Harry with tired look. "I'd have much preferred to be at Grimmwauld Place instead..." Harry grinned.

"Yes, well, you'd think differently if you were being trained and grilled in all the old magics all break long," he said. Ginny shook her head.

"No. I wouldn't. I'd have loved it," she said. Then she leaned closer to Harry so she could speak softly. "Did Dumbledore tell you that he wants to get the Order together later this week?" Harry nodded.

"He thought it would be wise to tell me since he would like me to organize at DA meeting before it. I'm sure he wants to know how well everyone does..." he said back. Ginny couldn't help that little tingle of excitement.

"When do you think that will be?" she asked. Harry shrugged as he went to sit down in front of the fireplace.

"I don't know. I figured I'd let everyone settle back in before starting it up," he said. Ginny sighed.

"Probably a good idea," she said. With a smile at Harry she picked up her bag. "I'd better go unpack... I still have to finish a paper for Herbology."

"Who have they gotten to... well... replace Professor Sprout?" Harry asked, sadness darkening his green eyes.

"Actually, Professor Hooch has been stepping in, between her flying lessons. She actually knows quite a bit about plants," Ginny said.

"That's good. I was hoping they wouldn't set Snape on you," he said. Ginny smiled, internally warring with herself on whether or not to bring up his coming sessions with the disgruntled professor... and Draco. Instead she settled for a 'goodnight' as Hedwig nearly floated into the room and dropped a message into Harry's hands. She had a message of her own to send before it got too late...

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_The next morning..._

He was dreaming again. And he knew it...

_Ginny was standing at the front door, a loving smile on her face. She left the door open for him and went further into the house. A small child sat playing on the floor in front of the fireplace and she knelt down next to him. The child stood and held out his arms to be held and Ginny picked him up. She said something, but he could not hear it. When Ginny turned back to him, the child held out his arms for him to hold. But rather than take the child in his arms he held out his wand. Ginny's eyes reflected surprise, horror and fear back at him. Her own wand was pointed at him as she shielded the child from him. Again, she was saying something that he could not hear – but it was interrupted by a green flash of light that clouded his vision. When it cleared, she was laying on the floor, the child screaming at her side where he had fallen. His pale hand rose once more..._

Draco sat up straight in the chair he had fallen asleep in. Two first years looked over at him with wide eyes. Looking down at himself, he saw Defense Against the Dark Arts books in his lap and his papers strewn about the floor. He'd gotten up early to organize his essay that was due. A lot of good that did... With a sigh, he collected all the things together and immediately left the common room.

The dream had clearly been of the future. He had been shown the murderer of his future family... and it was him. He was pretty sure he'd dreamed again because of that damned owl she'd sent him last night. She'd wanted to see him... he'd left the note unanswered. She was probably furious with him now, but how would he explain it? He didn't know how to explain it to himself. Rather than dwell on that, he knew he needed to see Severus. Maybe he could shed light on the troublesome interruptions of a good night sleep.

A flash of red in the hallway ahead of him caused Draco to freeze. The thought of Ginny... he could feel the bile rise in his throat and knew that he couldn't see her yet. It was still early afternoon and the chances of running into her were quite high. He couldn't see her knowing that in his dream – in his own mind and imagination – he had killed her...

Without another thought, Draco turned on his heel and headed in the direction of his private room. He could stay there until class... he'd have to wait to see Severus after dinner. And that was probably better, as well. The Potions professor wasn't all that pleased with him at the moment. Severus had made the suggestion to "kill" Draco in order to find out the purpose behind it. But Draco had refused. Severus had argued that he would be safer as 'dead' as he would be anywhere else. They had argued over this throughout the holidays and still, Draco refused. He didn't see what good being 'dead' would accomplish other than unearthing his father's motives. And Draco really didn't give a damn about his father's motives.

All in all, he'd had a productive holiday season. He'd successfully pissed off two of the only people that truly cared about him. With a growl, Draco stormed into this room and carelessly threw his books onto his bed.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Ginny could swear that she'd caught a glimpse of the platinum head she'd pretty much taken to stalking the Slytherin halls to see. With a sigh, she hefted her bag higher over her shoulder and started in the direction of the class she was sure she was going to be late to as a result of her penchance for detour.

Draco was avoiding her. And he was going out of his way to do it. That much, Ginny was absolutely sure about. She clutched her books tighter to her as she and Luna made their way through the corridors to Charms. Surely he couldn't still be angry about her dancing with Harry at the ball... Ginny rolled her eyes. Scratch that. He _could_ still be in a snit about it. He did tend to cling to his anger longer than most, just for the sake of being a scowling Slytherin.

With a disparaging shake of her head, she quickened her pace to stay with Luna. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught another blond head. This one was Colin Creevey's and he had stopped to say something to Blaise Zabini. The latter raised dark eyes to lock gazes with Ginny.

It wasn't the fact that Blaise Zabini was outright _staring_ at her that sent an icy chill over her. It was the fact that the Slytherin looked to be having an in depth conversation with one of the Gryffindors that his House loved to rag on the most. And this was the boy who had sworn to Voldemort to kill Draco...

It was when Colin turned his head to see what had so transfixed his conversation partner that Ginny dropped her gaze and quickened her step even more.

"Look at that Ginny... no Slytherins... I wouldn't call the ones they left behind anything other than nuisances. All the power has left the school..."

Colin's words to her at the ball rang through her mind. She still couldn't figure out if he'd been relieved by that fact, or saddened by it. But now, seeing him talking to one of the 'nuisances', she had to think a little harder on it. It would probably do better for her to talk to Draco about it. Or even Harry...

When she threw a quick look over her shoulder, Zabini had dropped his gaze and it was now Colin who was openly staring at her. With forced happiness, she waved to him with a smile. It took a second for him to draw back from wherever his mind had taken him, but he smiled and waved back to her.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_After__ dinner; the dungeons..._

He really wished that Professor Snape hadn't demanded their first lesson be tonight. Harry waved his wand in front of him in what was nearly a subconscious movement as he walked into the empty Potions room. _Swish, flick.__ Swish, flick._ Hermione still ragged on him about his technique... You'd think that after seven years, she would find something else to harp on about. So, Harry tried to perfect it. It had become something of a habit now when he had a spare moment to himself. But he could be thankful for it, since he didn't rub his scar nearly as much anymore. _Swish, flick..._ And anything that could keep his mind off the fact that he was about to be secluded in a dark dungeon with one of his _least_ favorite people was always a good thing. Harry needed to thank Hermione later... _Swish, flick.__ Swish, flick..._

"What are you _doing_, Potter?" Draco's voice called out, amusement and curiosity mixing in a way to make it sound nearly insulting. Harry spun around, eyes wide and wand at the ready, to find Draco lounging in the shadows of the Potions room. There was a smirk on his face as he looked at Harry. "Here for Remedial Potions, perhaps?"

"Why are you here?" Harry asked, dropping his wand down only slightly. Draco let his feet drop from Snape's desk and sat up straight.

"Would you believe a detention from Snape?" he asked. Harry looked at him skeptically and Draco just raised an eyebrow.

"No? How about extra credit for Potions?" he asked as the dark-haired boy remained quiet. Harry shifted on his feet.

"Come on, Malfoy. What are you up to?" he asked, getting visibly frustrated with the other boy's refusal to be serious. Draco shrugged and leaned back in Snape's chair once more.

"Why does it matter? You're never going to believe what I tell you anyway," he said. Harry glowered – more for the reason that Malfoy was probably right. When had he ever believed any of Draco Malfoy's posturing? Harry's response was interrupted as the Potions door slammed open and Snape entered the room.

"Ah, Potter. I see Mr. Malfoy has been enlightening you to the change of plans..." he said. When he reached the desk, he looked down his nose at Draco, who sighed and stood from the chair. Harry watched the scene with a frown before he locked eyes with Snape.

"Change of plans? What change of plans?" he asked. Snape looked to Draco out of the corner of his eyes.

"I suppose all this time you have been exchanging pleasantries?" he asked sarcastically. Draco just shrugged and smirked.

"Excuse me, Professor... but _why_ is he here?" Harry asked. Snape leaned forward to look at him.

"He is here to help instruct you," he told him. Harry looked disgusted.

"There is nothing I want to learn from him," he said. Draco just sneered in response before Snape rose quickly and snapped his hands down on his desk.

"In your arrogance, Potter, you forget that you are standing in front of two wizards who have been immersed in Dark Magic since they were born. How very _Gryffindor_ of you to forget that you will have to know and quite possibly use that very Dark Magic to defeat the strongest Dark Wizard that our time has known," the Potions professor said with as much malice he could inject into his voice. "Who better to teach you that two Slytherins you distrust the most?"

"Who better to teach me? What the bloody hell are you on about?" Harry exclaimed. Both Snape and Draco looked at him, causing him to stammer at his Ron-like way of approaching this scenario. He looked suitably chastened. "... to borrow a phrase..." Snape glowered as he sat down.

"Weasley's brutish behavior seems to be rubbing off," he said distastefully. Harry glowered in return.

"You are here to teach _me_... leave my friends out of it," he growled. Having never seen the Potions professor amused, Harry did not recognize the look on the man's face.

"So you've decided that we will teach you now? How very magnanimous of you, Potter..." Snape drawled. Draco snickered slightly causing Harry to turn a murderous look on him. Snape sat back in his seat and opened the textbook he had laid in front of him.

"Perhaps you two should take out some of that... animosity... May I suggest a duel?" Snape prompted with that same tone he'd used during the two boys' second year dueling club confrontation. Draco straightened his robes as he stepped away from the desk.

"Excellent suggestion. Perhaps I can teach Potter a few things just by handing him his arse," he said smugly.

"I don't like you," Harry growled as he gripped his wand. Draco held a hand to his chest, the other taking his wand out.

"My heart is breaking, Potter. I've had this... thing... for you since first year, see..." the blond drawled sarcastically. Snape slammed his text closed with a loud snap.

"Cease your juvenile bickering. The quicker Potter learns what he needs, Draco, the quicker he is out of your hair," he said. Draco straightened his shoulders.

"Let's get to it, then. I have people to see..." he said, smirking when he saw Harry's jaw clench.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

It was much later, with many hexes and jinxes between the two and foul-mouthed curses from Draco, that Severus decided to call a halt to the lessons. Each boy had sweat at their temples, their sleeves rolled up, ties off, and disgruntled looks on their faces. Severus closed the book he'd been looking at.

"Well, I must say I really enjoyed that. Particularly the hex where Draco had you flying upside down around the room, Potter," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. Harry scowled.

"So we were mainly here for your entertainment, then?" he asked with bite. Severus let out a breath and looked to Draco, who just shrugged and put his wand away.

"Potter, do you know why I let the two of you carry on for as long as you did?" Severus asked. Potter shook his head. When the Potions professor looked back to Draco, the blond looked curious but shook his head as well.

"I figured that with all the animosity between you two that eventually one of you would pull out the big weapons. Neither of you did," he said. Draco and Harry looked at each other quickly, then back at Severus. "You know what that tells me?"

"No, sir," Draco answered.

"It tells me that the two of you are actually able to work together without killing one another," he said, a smirk on his face. Harry frowned.

"That's what this was all about? A test to see if Malfoy and I could co-exist?" he asked testily. Severus frowned down his nose at him.

"No, Potter. It was to see if the two of you were mature enough to do what needs to be done," he said. "But I seem to be seriously overestimating your ability to do so..." Draco let out a sigh as he found a seat at one of the potions stations.

"Perhaps _everyone's_ been overestimating his abilities in general," he drawled. Severus shot him a look and he quieted.

"I don't care if you like one another. I don't care whether you work together or not. I certainly don't care if you learn from each other," he said. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Was this a lesson in futility as well, then?" he asked. Severus' jaw tightened as he stared at his favorite pupil. Whatever scathing remark he was thinking of releasing was interrupted by Harry.

"It wasn't futile if we did what we had to do," he said thoughtfully. "Which we did..." Severus lifted an eyebrow.

"And that, as they say, is that. Lesson one," he said, sitting back in his chair. "Move along then, Potter. I'm not going to give you a pass for after curfew..." Harry glared, but gathered his things. It obviously bothered him to have learned something from Severus Snape. Draco couldn't help but smirk.

"Being a Slytherin, I would have hoped you'd caught on to that lesson before a bloody Gryffindor," Severus said, watching as Harry walked to the door. Draco shrugged lazily.

"Who said I didn't?" he asked. Severus just shook his head and went back to his reading.

After Potter had cleared out, Draco stood and crossed the room to where the dark-haired man sat. He rubbed his shoulder from where his decidedly life-long nemesis had run him into a wall with a particularly nasty hex. If there was any time to discuss a personal issue with his prickly Head of House, now was it.

"Professor..." Draco started. Then he caught himself. He wasn't exactly sure how he wanted to approach this with his mentor. Severus looked up from his text. He had never seen Draco so unsure of his actions.

"What is it, Draco?" he asked, a slight tone of annoyance in his voice to cover the concern. The blond boy took a hesitant step and then another closer to the Potions professor's desk. Severus, knowing it wasn't wise to push Draco, stayed silent and waited for him to speak.

When Draco finally stood next to the desk, he took a deep breath.

"I have a question to ask you," he said. Severus raised a dark brow.

"I had anticipated as much, Mr. Malfoy..." he said. Draco frowned but didn't seem to look at his professor. Draco's mouth opened to speak, and then shut again. Finally, it seemed as if he'd gotten a hold of his courage.

"I've been having dreams, sir," he said so softly that Severus had to strain to hear.

"Dreams? Of what?" he asked. Draco's mouth opened and closed again, and he looked away.

"I don't wish to say..." he said. Severus frowned.

"Then how, exactly, do you expect me to be of assistance?" he inquired, sitting forward slightly to set a glare on his pupil. Draco returned the look and a glaring contest commenced until Draco, frustrated, slammed his fist onto the desk.

"Bloody hell..." he growled before turning to look at Severus. "I've been dreaming about Ginny, if you must know." Severus rolled his eyes.

"I don't think those dreams are meant to be spoken of in polite company," he drawled. Draco leveled him a glare.

"I wouldn't bother telling you about those dreams," he said sarcastically. Then, he sobered. "Ginny dies..." Severus let out a sigh as he stood and closed his textbook.

"Spare me your lovelorn teenage dramatics," he said. Draco slammed his hands down on the desk.

"They are _not_ simple dramatics..." he yelled. Then he sobered. "I am the one who kills her... and our child..." The last was said on a bit of air. Severus' eyes went wide as he looked at the blond, but he covered it quickly.

"How many times have you had this dream?" he asked. Draco sighed.

"Only a few times. And they are slightly different each time," he said.

"Have you... felt... anything during these dreams? Like strong emotions or heavy magic?" Severus prodded.

"Not that I can remember," Draco answered.

"Do you remember feeling anyone else nearby, or feeling as if it wasn't really you?"

"Are you asking me if I felt like I was possessed?" Draco asked. Severus nodded tightly.

"I am," he said. Draco's brow furrowed as he thought back to that horrible dream.

"No. I did not feel possessed, or as if I were under the Imperious. I did not feel like myself, but I don't remember feeling anything influencing me," he said. Severus sat back down in his chair and thought about the significance of what his student had just told him. It took a Slytherin to recognize the signs of worry on another Slytherin, but Draco kept still as he watched his professor. Then, Severus turned back to Draco with a subtle shake of his head to focus his thoughts.

"You'd best be off to bed, Draco. These little sojourns will not excuse you in any of _my_ classes," he said.

"But sir..." Draco started, frustration mounting at the lack of answers. Severus held up his hand.

"I will have to think over this, Draco. I will discuss my findings with you when I have something to share," he said. Draco's jaw tightened, but he gave his Head of House a stiff nod before going to gather his things. Severus watched as the blond boy left his classroom. He wasn't completely sure that Draco's dreams were anything more than dreams. But it still warranted careful research.

Severus picked up his wand and stood to approach a set of shelves that held many dangerous looking Potions ingredients. With a muttered spell of his own creation, Severus had the shelves pull apart to reveal and extensive collection of dark bound books. After choosing one, he went back to his desk and settled down to find out what the wizarding world could fear next...

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Draco sat in his room, staring at the fire in the fireplace. It had been a long day and no answers to his many questions had been given. He couldn't decide if he was angry, disappointed or frustrated. Rather than try to sort it out, he figured that he was a little bit of all three.

It was well past curfew, so when he heard the portrait door to his room open, he could only suspect it to be Severus with news. To say he was surprised to see her would have been a slight understatement. And to say he'd missed her over the holidays and throughout the painfully long day was also a slight understatement. Ginny Weasley, even a frowning Ginny Weasley, was a sight to lift a morose heart. But rather than let it affect him, he kept his elbows on his knees and a curious expression on his face until she stood in front of him.

"Why have you bee avoiding me, Draco?" she demanded, hands on hips. Draco let out a sigh as he leaned back in his chair.

"I haven't been avoiding you," he said. "I've been busy..." Ginny tilted her head to one side, her brown eyes narrowing.

"That's bollocks and you know it," she said. "Every time I see you in the hallways, you run in the other direction. At meals, you sit so I can't see you. You've spent more time in your common room than you have during your entire time at Hogwarts. A common room that I can't get into, mind you."

"Ginny..." Draco started, rubbing a hand over his face.

"You know, if you really wanted to hide yourself away, all you had to do was change your password to your room. Then you'd never have to see me," she said, hurt evident in her voice. Draco sat up quickly and reached out to take her hand. Instinctively, he knew that she was wondering if this was how he ended all of his past 'dealings'.

"Ginny... it's not that I don't want to see you. It's just..." he said, dropping her hand and sitting back in the chair again.

"... that you don't want to see me..." she finished with a sad smile. "Your logic is escaping me, Draco." Draco stood with a frustrated growl and began to pace.

"It's escaping me too, Gin. I can't bloody explain it. I want to be with you, I want to see you. But right now is not a good time," he said. Ginny purposely stood in his pacing path and put a hand on his arm.

"I love you, Draco. Don't push me away again," she pleaded. Draco stood straight, wondering what it was he was really trying to accomplish. When he came up with nothing, he gave up the fight and dragged Ginny into his arms. Her arms wound around his waist and held on tight. After a moment, Draco tipped up her chin and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Stepping back, he smiled at her.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice heavy with an emotion he probably would never verbalize. With a long finger, he reached out and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear before trailing that same finger down along her jaw. His other hand tugged on her hand as he led them back to his chair. He sat and pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist to keep her there. Ginny smiled. She wasn't going anywhere.

"You're being uncharacteristically mushy tonight," she commented with a chuckle as she crossed her legs where they dangled over the chair's arm. "And I do believe there was an apology in there as well..." When she looked up into Draco's face, he was looking down his nose at her.

"Malfoy's don't do mushy and they certainly don't do apologies," he said. Ginny giggled.

"Then what would a Malfoy call what just happened?" she asked.

"That would be called an affirmation of slightly misguided actions," he said. Ginny's face twisted.

"Bugger that... I like 'apology' better," she said. Draco shrugged.

"You would," he said back. Ginny grinned.

"And the mushy?"

"An anomaly. Won't happen again." Ginny swung her legs around and shifted so that she was straddling Draco.

"What if I like the mushy?" she asked, resting her arms on his shoulders. One of his eyebrows lifted.

"Then you'll appreciate it more if it stays a bloody anomaly," he said. Ginny laughed before she leaned into kiss him. When she pulled back, her face was serious.

"You know, I thought you weren't speaking to me because of Harry," she told him truthfully. Draco tensed at the mention of the name, but he didn't say anything. Ginny's hands played with the collar of his shirt as her eyes dropped from his face.

"You didn't come to find me after the Ball..." Draco let out a breath. He was playing with the idea of telling her what Severus' plan had been, just to get her opinion on the thing. But replaying the whole forest confrontation in his head reminded him of the fact that Ginny would take a liking to the dangerous, daft plan. And he only needed one person badgering him about going through with it...

"I had things I had to take care of," he said instead. Ginny frowned. It was his standard answer to things he didn't want to be specific about. It worried her.

"Nothing dangerous, I hope," she said. Draco chuckled as he ran his hands down to her hips.

"Dangerous... as in bursting in on a Death Eater gathering sort of dangerous?" he asked. Ginny blushed.

"Well... yes..." she said. Draco leaned up to press his lips to her cheek. Ginny closed her eyes and leaned into the caress, relishing the quiet, lighthearted moment. Obviously, he was no longer concerned about Harry...

"About Potter..." he said suddenly, almost as if reading her mind. "I don't like you dancing with him." Ginny sat back, ready to fight back, but he set a finger against her lips to quiet her.

"I don't like you dealing with him at all, for reasons that are my own. But I know that he is your friend and that cutting him from your life would be like cutting out one of your millions of brothers..." he said, resigned. Ginny smiled at him, happy that he'd made the connection to what Harry truly was in her life. And in her happiness, she gave him a sweet kiss.

"Thank you," she said. Draco nodded.

"That doesn't mean I won't be... unhappy about it or that I won't pound his face in should he be an arse..." he said. Ginny laughed.

"I wouldn't expect any more of you," she told him. She stood up and straightened her robes. "I'd best get back to Gryffindor. I have Quidditch practice before classes tomorrow... Ron booked the pitch for the earliest time possible." Draco smirked.

"You'd best practice all you can before you meet up with Slytherin again," he said. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Awfully confident, aren't you?" she asked. Draco's smirk just widened.

"I'm a Malfoy. Confidence is natural me... just as Quidditch is," he said. Ginny just laughed.

"Well see about that," she said before blowing him a kiss and heading out the portrait door.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_The__ next weekend..._

It was a cold day, but the sun had finally come out of hiding. It was a welcome sight to everyone on the day of the Gryffindor/Ravenclaw Quidditch match. The postponed game before the holidays was now being played and the excitement could barely be contained. Each team was ready to go, despite the lack of practice over the holidays, and happily walked out onto the pitch.

Ginny threw a quick smile up to the Slytherin stands to where she knew Draco would be watching. She's promised him a Gryffindor/Slytherin final, and since she was Chaser today she would have a lot more to say about it. Harry looked nervous as he stood next to her.

"Buck up, Harry. You'll smoke them before I get a chance to get a Quaffle through the ring," she said, elbowing him in the side. Harry swallowed hard and then smiled over at her.

"Just a bit nervous seeing as it's my first game this year," he said. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Harry, you've played since your first year. If anyone were a natural at the game, it'd be you. You've no reason to be nervous," she said. Harry shrugged, but gave her another stellar smile before going with Ron to meet the Ravenclaw captain.

Draco watched all the pre-match formalities with a practiced disinterest. For him, a sixth-year Seeker, the match didn't begin in earnest until the Snitch was flitting around waiting to be caught. Although, this match, he _may_ actually take more interest in the workings of the Chasers... though he wouldn't say such a thing to Blaise, who was at his side, or to Ginny, who was just mounting her broom.

With a sharp whistle and a toss of the Quaffle, the game was underway. Cheers went around the pitch in a deafening wave as the Ravenclaw Chasers took the first possession. The two new Gryffindor Beaters, a couple of 5th years that Draco was unable to name, quickly went after the Chasers, batting the Bludgers in their way at every turn. One hit in particular took one Chaser by surprise and caused her to fumble the Quaffle. The Gryffindor Chasers took charge, stole the ball-like object away and quickly made their way down to the other end of the pitch.

The game continued on for another twenty minutes without incident. Gryffindor was up 80 to 60, but Ravenclaw wasn't giving up the goals without a fight. The red and gold team was making their way back down to the other end of the pitch when their redheaded Chaser stopped suddenly and her broom swayed slightly back and forth. Draco watched, wondering what kind of play it could be. He could come up with nothing, and a chill ran over Draco as he continued to look at her.

Something was wrong… Ginny was no longer flying aggressively, nor planning to do so, from the looks of it. In fact, she was no longer flying at all. She was just sitting on her broom as if there wasn't a fierce Quidditch match going on in front of her. Draco gripped the railing of the Slytherin stands, his eyes locked on the redhead.

Potter was yelling at Ginny to get moving, but she seemed to not hear him at all. Katie Bell passed the Quaffle to the seemingly waiting redhead, but it only bounced off of her back. With the force of the blow, it was by sheer luck that Ginny had managed to stay on her broom. Draco willed her to move, to do anything but hover in mid-air aimlessly. It was only a matter of time before a Bludger sent her crashing to the ground.

In a matter of seconds Draco wished his thoughts back as Ginny suddenly gripped her head as if in pain. Her broom started to sway out of control and it seemed as if she couldn't hear anything anyone was screaming at her. The Weasel and Potter immediately made their way to where Ginny was struggling as Madame Hooch called a halt to the game. Before her brother could reach her, Ginny suddenly calmed. Then, she shrieked for her brother to help her before she suddenly disappeared.

"NO!" It took a second for Draco to register that it had been he who had yelled. He had to struggle with both Blaise and Severus as they held him back from leaping over the stand's railings. There was silence as the entire pitch watched Ginny Weasley's empty broom plummet to the ground.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

There was a mad cackle that echoed throughout the room. A redheaded figure lay prone in the middle of the floor as a black robed figure stalked around it. A slim, pale hand reached out and stroked Ginny Weasley's cheek.

"Who would have guessed that my little experiment would have worked so well? And who would have guessed that my darling nephew could love you so much?" Bellatrix Lestrange's voice floated over the unconscious girl. A noise alerted the woman to another presence.

"What have you dragged in now, Mistress Lestrange?" a dignified male voice asked. A smile that could never be classified as a smile crossed Bellatrix's face.

"Well, well, well, Mr. Warrington..." she said. "Come to see my prize?" Warrington frowned down at the form of Ginny Weasley.

"A prize for what?" he asked. Bellatrix sneered.

"My hard work," she said. Warrington stood straight.

"Well, then, I'll make sure the Dark Lord knows," he said. Bellatrix turned to look at him with a smirk.

"He already does, my boy. He already does..." she said with a chuckle.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**


	21. Part XXI

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

He was trying so hard not to pace. And he was also trying so hard not to knock the Weasel King's teeth in. They were all sitting in the Headmaster's office, awaiting the old wizard's appearance, and it became painfully obvious to Draco that neither he nor the Weasel was very good with patience._ Ron…_ he thought with a sigh. _His name is Ron…_ Ginny would appreciate that little concession. Even if she wasn't here to acknowledge it.

The though spurred him into wanting to pace again. So, instead, he took a seat and looked around the room. Potter and Granger were there along with the Weasel. That was to be expected. Finnegan and Thomas also accompanied the Terrific Trio. And among all of the red and gold scarves was a single blue and white. Luna Lovegood looked small against the rest of the group.

"I don't get it. How could Ginny just Apparate like that?" Ron asked, rubbing his head in confusion.

"She didn't. I think she was taken…" Harry said.

"How the bloody hell could she be 'taken'? There's no magic that can do that! If there were, don't you think we would have won this war by now?" Ron bellowed. Hermione reached out and took Ron's hand, calming him slightly.

"Someone has been experimenting," Draco interrupted quietly. All of the faces turned to him.

"What are you on about?" Ron asked with a frown. Draco sighed as he sat in one of the chairs.

"I've a contact within the Death Eater ranks. They told me that it felt as if the dark magics were being played around with at meetings they've attended. Not from the Dark Lord, but from others…" he said. Ron's face turned an ugly shade of red.

"You've a contact in the…" he stuttered out. "And you're _just_ telling us this _now_!" Draco frowned as he looked up at the redhead towering over him.

"What did you expect me to do, Weasley? Mind read? All I knew was that someone was adapting spells. I didn't know why, or for whom, or when. Don't you think that if I'd know it was going to be used on Ginny that I would have done something?" he asked, his own anger making his face a little flushed. Ron sneered.

"I don't know, would you have?" he asked snottily. Hermione hissed out her boyfriend's name in warning. Draco stood, causing the other boy to step back at the sudden movement.

"How dare you…" Draco started, fists clenching. Dean and Seamus both took steps closer to Ron just in case the Slytherin decided to throw a punch.

"Zabini…" Harry's voice broke in. The blond turned to look at him.

"What?" he asked. Harry cleared his throat.

"Your contact. It's Zabini, isn't it?" he asked. Draco crossed his arms.

"Why would you think that?"

"He's been a bit shifty as of late. Secretive, watchful… Plus, he's been speaking with Colin Creevey quite a bit. That has been a little strange," Harry noted. Draco nodded.

"I have my theories about Creevey," he said. Harry nodded and looked to Hermione.

"So do we, actually," he said. Hermione stepped forward so that she could see Draco.

"Your friend Goyle is still missing. The last person to be seen with him was Colin…" she relayed.

"Seen by whom?" Hermione let out a breath.

"Luna…" she said. Everyone turned to look at the other girl, who nodded her head in affirmation.

"Michael Corner was with them," she said. Silence fell as each of the students realized the susceptibility of each of the Houses.

"What about the DA, Harry?" Dean asked, breaking the unsettling quiet. Harry let out a breath.

"Tonight, Harry. Tonight would be best," an aged voice startled the students. They all turned to see Dumbledore standing with Professors McGonagall and Snape.

"Tonight, sir?" Harry asked, frowning at the urgency. Dumbledore stepped further into the room and slowly made his way to where his desk sat. Snape and McGonagall followed. Suddenly, the floo came to life and two figures stepped out of the green fire. Ron stepped forward.

"Dad!" he said. "Bill…" Arthur Weasley brushed himself off and then reached out to squeeze his youngest son's arm.

"What has been decided, Albus?" he asked. Dumbledore smiled.

"Harry was just telling me about his plans for the DA," he said. All eyes turned to Harry, who shifted on his feet uncomfortably.

"I can call them all together tonight," he said. McGonagall gave a stiff nod.

"Good. I will contact the Order. They will be there," she said. Dumbledore held up his hand.

"Minerva, let young Weasley inform the Order," he said, nodding to Bill. The oldest Weasley sibling gave a nod, met Ron's gaze quickly, and then stepped into the floo once more.

"The Order?" Hermione asked.

"Yes. The Order of the Phoenix will be present at your meeting of the DA," Snape said tightly.

"You think something will happen?" Draco asked. Snape turned to look at his prize pupil.

"Something already has, Mr. Malfoy," he said. He then turned to look at Harry. "What Voldemort has done is declare war."

"You mean…" Hermione started.

"That's right, Ms. Granger," Snape interrupted. "There will be no more waiting. The battle has begun."

"He has no plans to return Ginny, then. Or even hold her for some sort of ransom," Draco hissed out, his heart going cold. Ron stepped forward, clenching his fist.

"Shut your gob, Malfoy," he growled. Snape pushed the redhead back to where he'd been standing.

"Keep your wits about you, Weasley. What Draco has said is completely correct. If you wish to see your sister alive again, I would cease your tantrums and start to use your head. I'm certain you know where you've left it," Snape commented dryly and looking doubtful. Ron glared at the dark-haired professor. But rather than comment, the boy turned to Harry.

"What are we going to do?" Harry swallowed.

"I don't think there's going to be a 'we' in this, Ron."

"What are you talking about? Harry, this is _Ginny_!" the redhead cried. Harry looked to Dumbledore.

"Am I right?" he asked. The headmaster smiled.

"I'm afraid your assessment is correct, Harry," he said. Ron threw up his arms.

"What about my sister?" he called to the room. Professor McGonagall went to Ron and set a hand on his shoulder to calm him.

"Patience, Mr. Weasley," she reminded him "There is always a plan…" All of the occupants of the small room looked to Professor Dumbledore.

"Harry is needed for much bigger things. The taking of Miss Weasley is one of many things. It is meant to be a distraction. Voldemort is luring Harry out. But it must not be done," the old wizard said. Ron whimpered and Hermione wrapped and arm around his waist.

"Then what is to be done?" Hermione asked. Snape crossed his arms and glowered at Harry.

"Potter will remain with the Order. The meeting tonight with the DA is meant to find those most able to search out and rescue Miss Weasley," he said.

"To be led by whom?" Hermione asked. "Since Harry isn't going to be available." Snape smirked.

"Certainly not Mr. Weasley," he said with a look at Ron.

"Severus…" Arthur's voice warned. Snape looked duly apologetic to the elder Weasley and then turned to look at Draco.

"We've another within our walls able to pull off such a stunt," he said. All eyes went to Draco, who stood with arms crossed and a scowl on his features. Ron gripped Hermione's arm and then looked to his father.

"Dad… _no_… Not him," he pleaded. Arthur placed a hand on his son's shoulder, but kept his gaze on Draco.

"Ronald… this is one of those many things that Dumbledore was taking about…"

"But Dad…" the redhead was silenced by a look from Arthur.

"This is for the best. Draco is not a Death Eater. But he has expressly stated that he wants no part in this war." Arthur's comment caused Draco's chin to lift when Ron looked over at him. But Arthur paid no attention as he continued. "He cares for Ginny and I feel he will do anything to find her. What better way to utilize his talents…"

"I don't trust him," Ron muttered. Arthur finally looked at his son.

"I do. And right now, that's what matters."

"But he's a bloody _Malfoy…_" Arthur gave Ron a weary look.

"And you're a _Weasley_. Act like one," he said.

"Hear, hear," Draco said. Ron glared at him, but quickly reddened when he realized that everyone had been privy to the family discussion.

"Yes, Dad," he said, reaching to take Hermione's free hand in his and looking to his father. "But what are you going to do? Are you going to be with the Order?" Arthur stood up straight.

"I will be with the Order. It has been rumored that there are many within the Ministry that are in league with Voldemort. We will see if that is true," he said. Harry frowned.

"How? Have there been many arrested?" he asked. Arthur smiled.

"No, Harry. We are to raid their homes," he said.

"What purpose would that serve, Mr. Weasley? If this is truly the beginning of the war, why something as simple as raids?" Hermione asked.

"Raids are not simple, 'Mione," Ron whined, concern marked on his face as he waited for Arthur's answer. She squeezed his hand.

"Sorry. I misspoke," she said, but did not change her question.

"My dear Miss Granger… they are not merely raids," Dumbledore noted. Then he smiled. "It is also a diversion…"

"For what?" Ron asked. Draco crossed his arms.

"You really are thick, aren't you Weasley?" he drawled. "A diversion so that _we_ can get in and find your sister…" The redhead flinched at the word he'd used earlier to reference Harry and him.

"It will also draw out a larger strike from Voldemort," Snape said.

"Why do we wish to do that, sir?" Seamus' nervously lilted voice asked.

"Because, Mr. Finnigan, we are ready," Dumbledore said. "We no longer wish to carry on this strike versus strike intrigue. It is better to get this under way than it is to drag it out." No one said anything. Whether it was because they didn't agree or because they didn't know what to say, no one knew.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

_Later that evening…_

There was a concerned murmur going around the crowd of students as they gathered in the Room of Requirement. Professors McGonagall, Snape, Hooch and Dumbledore all stood at the head of the room. Being that this was a _secret_ meeting of the DA, the group of teenagers all wondered if the jig was up.

"Welcome," Dumbledore's voice echoed through the room. Everyone became silent without any prompting. "I'm sure you are all wondering why it is we are here…" The headmaster extended an arm out and there was a collective gasp as figures stepped out from the shadows, among them being Remus Lupin and Mad-Eye Moody.

"Was this a trap?" a nervous student called. "Are we to be expelled?" Dumbledore smiled.

"No, my boy. This is not a trap. We have merely called to order the first joint meeting between Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix…" he said. Shocked muttering overtook the room. It crescendo-ed as Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini elbowed their way through the group.

"What are the Slytherins doing here?" a Hufflepuff asked in indignation. All talking ceased as Dumbledore held up a hand.

"As you are all aware, Ginny Weasley was taken this afternoon. She was taken from within the confines of Hogwarts," he said. All eyes readily went to Ron, who was standing uncomfortably with Harry and Hermione near the front of the room. Mad-Eye Moody stepped forward.

"Tonight, we're here to see who among you is at their best…" he said in his gravelly voice, his eye roaming the gathered group.

"Best for what?" a Ravenclaw piped up.

"The best for battle, of course," Draco drawled, causing a stir to rise up within the DA once more.

"Are we to battle Vold… Vol… _him_?" a fifth year Gryffindor asked. Dumbledore held up his hand to quiet the frightened mutterings.

"No," the old wizard's voice echoed through the room. "That is not your task. But what you will be asked to partake in may be just as dangerous." There was silence as all waited for the explanation to come. There was none. Professor McGonagall clapped her hands together and made her way down to where the students stood.

"Everyone pair up. We are to evaluate your dueling skills," she commanded. Ron stood stiffly next to Hermione as they watched their peers pair off uncomfortably. Two Ravenclaws scooted by the pair.

"They said it was dangerous. What if I don't want to do anything dangerous?" one of them asked. Ron glared.

"Then what are you doing here?" he asked. The two girls turned to look at him with wide eyes.

"I'd have to agree with Weasley," Draco's voice drawled. "Did you think we were going to be knitting jumpers and having tea? This is Dumbledore's _Army_…" Ron and Hermione spun around to level looks of grudging gratitude and relief respectively at the other boy. When they all looked back to the Ravenclaws, the girls had lifted their chins and gone to start their dueling.

"Thank you, Draco," Hermione said. Ron just huffed and gripped her hand, leading her away to begin their duel. Draco rolled his eyes and stalked his way over to a Hufflepuff, Nigel Van Horn, who was standing alone and watching his friends jelly-leg jinx each other.

"Come along then. We'd best see how ghastly you are," Draco sneered. He walked a few feet away and then turned, pulling his wand up in salute. The other boy watched Draco with suspicion as he, too, took his own position.

"You're nothing but a miserable, useless Slytherin. Dumbledore and McGonagall are daft to trust any of you lot," Nigel said as he lifted his wand in salute. Draco's jaw tightened at the uncalled for barb and he aimed his wand at the other boy. Without warning, the Hufflepuff lifted into the air and was thrown back against the wall behind him. As he brought himself to his feet, anger and fear were written across his features.

"What the bloody hell was that?" he asked. Draco's eyes narrowed.

"A lesson. Mind your mouth," he said. Nigel rotated his arm around. Satisfied that he was in one piece, he lifted his wand to counterstrike his opponent's unspoken jinx.

"Perhaps you should mind your own. Only those that have dark direction can cast unspoken spells that well…" Draco just smirked as the student cast the disarming spell.

"Perhaps you'd like to see what I can do without my wand…" he warned. The other boy scoffed and raised his wand to make another strike, but Draco beat him to the punch.

"_Sectumsempra_!"

A gash of red appeared on Nigel's wand arm and he looked up in fear at Draco once more as his wand clattered to the ground and he gripped the bleeding appendage.

"Would you like another?" the blond sneered, his lip curling in disdain. The Hufflepuff shook his head. "Then I suggest you keep your mouth _shut_." He was about to level a jinx in the other student's general direction when he was pulled away. He looked up into the angry face of his Head of House.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?" he growled. Draco shrugged the grip off of his arm.

"What I had to," he retorted. Severus cast a quick, worried look to a distracted Dumbledore and then back to his student.

"How did you know that spell?" he asked softly. Draco shrugged again as he straightened his robes.

"I found it in a book. One of yours, to be precise," he answered. Severus let out a breath as he looked to Nigel.

"Go to Madame Pomfrey, you addled fool," he said with a glower. The Hufflepuff's eyes stayed wide as he nodded and turned to run out of the room. Severus turned back to look at Draco.

"Have you practiced it on anyone?" Draco shook his head.

"I didn't know it was going to do that. I just felt it was a good spell to try," he said. There was silence as Severus thought over the words. Finally, he looked to Dumbledore again, who was now watching the two of them.

"Come with me, Draco," he ordered. The pair walked through the rows of dueling students and towards the door.

"Where are you taking me?" Draco asked. Severus reached out and urged Draco ahead of him.

"Somewhere we can discuss some things. I believe there are some things you need to be aware of."

Once they were alone in the Potions classroom, Severus spun around to look hard at Draco.

"How have you felt today?" he asked. Draco frowned.

"Perfectly fine…" he said. "What is it you wished to discuss?" The Potions professor rolled his eyes.

"Your sudden inclination to display inordinate amounts of temper…" he said sarcastically. Draco's frown deepened as he grasped his professor's meaning.

"But sir, a lot of wizards can do unspoken magic and even wandless magic. You've done so loads of times," Draco said while picking a piece of lint off of his robes. Severus sighed.

"It is true that in your seventh year here you begin to master the fine art of magic through thought. But Draco… what you have displayed this evening is beyond what even the brightest Hogwarts graduate would be capable of. And the wandless magic… that requires years of skill. But with recent developments come to light, it does not surprise me…"

"Recent developments? What are you saying?" Severus looked aggrieved as he slowly sat down in his chair.

"I am saying, Draco, that you have been bred to be the next Dark Lord…" To say the older man had put it bluntly would be a gross understatement.

"The next Dark Lord," Draco breathed weakly. Before, he'd been unconcerned about where this conversation had been going. Now, he just felt sick. "How do you know this? Why?" Severus steepled his fingers over the textbook he'd laid on his desk.

"As you come closer to reaching the age of adulthood, Draco, your powers have increased monumentally. It is why you can do wandless magic and difficult unspoken spells; it is why you can do spells that normal wizards cannot. It… it is why you dream," Severus explained.

"The Dark Lord is waging war as we speak. How am I to take his place?" Severus smiled, but it was humorless.

"Draco, your father denounced the Dark Lord years ago. Not as an act of cowardly self-preservation, but as a subtle act of rebellion. For he had a son… a son who exhibited powers greater than even the Dark Lord himself. The one act of disloyalty to Voldemort produced legions within the Death Eater ranks who would think as your father does. I just never made the entire connection until recently."

"Betrayers," Draco muttered. Severus nodded.

"There is a large faction of the Dark Lord's supporters who hope to see Potter succeed… and you take the Death Eater oath. It is why you were taken earlier this year…" Suddenly pieces started to fall into place.

"That is why half of Slytherin stayed. The others – Warrington, Crabbe – are true to Voldemort. The ones who stayed…"

"… are the children of those who wish to see you on Voldemort's throne." Silver eyes met inky black ones.

"And Ginny?"

"A catalyst. A movement to call forth the war, but with dual purposes: one to call forth Potter in his action against Voldemort. And the other to call you forth to take your place that has been fitted to you your whole life." Draco paced in front of the classroom.

"What is to be done?" he asked, stopping to look at his mentor. Severus sat up and spread his arms.

"Let Potter fulfill his purpose. There is no way around that. But for you… only you can decide where to go from here." The silence was almost painful as each mulled over the conversation. Finally, Draco stopped pacing and turned to look at Severus.

"Maybe we can use this to our advantage," he muttered thoughtfully after a moment before resuming his pacing. Severus smirked. Only a Slytherin could think in the vein of Draco's thoughts. The boy was Slytherin to the core, no matter what Dumbledore thought. And for that, Severus felt an overpowering sense of pride. To use the power wielded against those who bestowed it…

"Does the Order know of your… findings?" Draco asked. Severus shook his head.

"I only just put it all together. But I know Professor Dumbledore suspects. He is aware of your… potential. He may not have been privy to many of the conversations and memories that I have, nor all the magics and texts, but the old man has his bloody ways…" Draco chuckled.

"That he does. Should we tell him of what we know?" he asked. Severus' eyes met his pupil's.

"I do not know, Draco. This is not just a war against Harry Potter. This is a war against Albus Dumbledore as well. He would make a powerful ally, but if we try to use this information, it may be detrimental to our purpose… I am no longer trusted within the Death Eater ranks. And the headmaster is not as young as he once was… You may need to be stronger than you think," the Potions professor noted. Draco nodded. Silence fell as they thought over the possibilities. Draco straightened.

"We need to save Ginny first. I will not have her die by the Dark Lord's hand as a mere pawn," he said. Severus laid a hand on the teenager's shoulder.

"I fear it may not be safe for you to be there when we go to rescue her," he said. "I fear she may die by your hand…" Draco's eyes went wide.

"I would _never_ hurt Ginny," he spat out. Severus closed his eyes and willed for patience.

"I know that, Draco. But it is not _your_ will that I question. You have been having dreams. Dreams that speak of the future. If you are there when we recover her, I fear other things may drive you to do that which you wish not to do."

"The Imperius curse…" Draco noted. Severus' dark eyes locked on Draco's.

"That is not all I fear. Anger is a powerful ally. It does not control our actions, but it leads us to decisions that we would normally avoid," he said. With that, the Potions professor rolled up his sleeve to show his Dark Mark. "Case in point…" Draco swallowed hard at the black ink on his mentor's arm. _It is that resentment and that anger that turned him into what he is this day…_ Never before had words echoed in his head more. Draco swallowed. He was aware of what his most trusted ally was saying. There was no saying as to what he would be capable of if something happened to Ginny. And there was no saying what _more_ he could be capable of if _he_ were the cause of whatever that something was – whatever the situation.

"I understand." Severus let the sleeve of his robes fall back over the hated brand.

"Good. Now… let Potter and Dumbledore assemble their band of merry idiots. Let us discuss what is to happen."

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

"Where do you suppose that slimy ferret went?" Ron asked. Hermione let out a huff.

"Ronald. If you don't quit grumbling about Malfoy, I'm going to have to hex your lips shut," she said. Ron's eyes widened.

"You wouldn't," he said. Hermione let her wand dangle between her fingers.

"Try me…" she said with a stern look.

"Fine," Ron grumbled, crossing his arms and glaring at the few number of Slytherins practicing their hexes and blocks.

"Like it or not, Ron, Malfoy cares for your sister. And like it or not, he's going to play an integral part in getting her back. Harry cannot help us this time. He's got bigger and more dangerous things to think about. Malfoy is our best bet. You saw what he did earlier to that Nigel character. I can't even begin to tell you how he went about it," she said, looking chagrinned at the thought. Ron turned to look at her.

"That's what frightens me about him, Hermione," he admitted. His eyes flew back to where the Slytherins stood fighting. "He has a power that's different from Harry's."

"Aye," a gruff voice said from behind them. They turned to see Mad-Eye Moody approaching them. "Different is right. It is why you must be vigilant, my boy. Constant vigilance and swift action is what separates the brave from the dead." Ron looked confused.

"And how, exactly, is that supposed to bloody help?" he asked. Hermione glared at him.

"Hush, Ron…" Mad-Eye just laughed before taking a sip from his flask and tucking it back in the pocket of his coat.

"I never presumed to give you advice, boy. I was just agreeing with you," he said before turning to go talk to Professor McGonagall.

"I used to think _you_ were mental…" Ron grumbled. "I must have been wrong in what I thought was mental." He let out a small chuckle as Hermione hit him in the arm.

"You're a charmer, Ronald," she said sarcastically. Ron shrugged as he prepared to level a hex her way.

"Natural part of being a Weasley, I'm afraid," he said. Hermione smiled as she deflected the spell back to him. Then she set her hands on her hips.

"You're going to have to try a stronger spell, Ron. We're not going to be able to save Ginny with a Bug-Eye Hex." The reminder was just as good as a dousing with ice water. Ron's jovial moment went out the window like an owl with its tail on fire.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

"_Silencio!"_ Ginny Weasley's angry condemnations had become tiresome over the lengthy amount of time she's been in his company and his sister-in-law only seemed to encourage the young girl. As the echoes of Bellatrix's laughter faded and silence reigned once more, Ginny glowered at the man in front of her. She mouthed the word 'coward' as he shut the door behind him, but he gave it no attention.

"We meet again Miss Weasley," Lucius drawled as he finally removed the mask that had kept his identity from her in their previous meetings. Her eyes went wide and she stopped struggling in her bonds. "Though I doubt you ever knew your full importance in things to come. I certainly did not…" Ginny frowned at the man in front of her. Lucius only smiled. "You know, Miss Weasley, you are the only thing standing between me and my son's rightful place in the wizarding world. It will be a pleasure to watch him kill you…"

"What about young Warrington, Brother?" Bellatrix asked him. Lucius shook his head.

"Do not worry about him. He knows what he needs to know. His arrogance and his belief in Lord Voldemort will be his downfall…" The sound of the door opening again drew his attention away from the redheaded girl. His wife was grace and beauty even in the dankest, darkest reaches of their purpose.

"Lucius, my darling. The Dark Lord wishes you to bring him the girl…" she announced, her gaze not once being spared for the wide-eyed girl on the floor.

"Of course, my love," he returned, his jaw tight as he wondered at the purpose. Ginny's squeak of fear was not heard as Bellatrix roughly pulled her to her feet. She could only hope that she would live through the night…

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**


	22. Part XXII

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

Ginny swallowed hard as she was shoved into the room. There were Death Eaters gathered in a circle near the corner and the ugly little man they called Wormtail was standing as straight as his lumpy form would let him next to his red-eyed master. Ginny did all she could to keep from looking at the gray-skinned pseudo-man. The figure in front of her turned at her entrance and splayed his arms wide to encompass the room.

"Welcome…" Voldemort called. "Welcome to my manor…" Ginny watched as the Death Eaters stilled to watch the confrontation.

"Bring her closer.." the Dark Lord commanded. Bellatrix shoved Ginny ahead of her and quickly followed after. Lucius and Narcissa followed at a more genteel pace. Voldemort watched with narrow eyes as she approached.

"Miss Weasley. How kind of you to join us," he said. His robes swished around him as he stepped towards her.

"Vol…" she started uneasily. The she squared her shoulders. "Voldemort…"

"You used to call me 'Tom'," he chided. Ginny shook her head and kept her eyes averted. If she were to die, she'd go without his face being the last thing she saw.

"You were never Tom. In fact," she said quietly. "I don't believe Tom was ever really Tom…" A hush fell over the room, but still, she did not look up. A chill ran over her as she felt her hair lift from her cheek.

"How very astute of you," Voldemort's hiss-like voice commended her. The grip on her hair tightened, but Ginny let her chin drop even more. Finally, there was a feral growl and a cold, leather-like grip clenched her chin and her face was forced up. Fingernails dug painfully into her cheek. She wanted to cry out, but she closed her mouth as tightly as she had her eyes.

"Look at me, girl…" Voldemort commanded. Ginny didn't move. The Dark Lord's painful grip tightened as he shook her head. "Look at me!" Ginny could not hold back the scream as Voldemort's wand dragged painfully across the flesh of her cheek. She could feel the blood begin to trail down her skin.

"Give her a matching pair, my Lord. She'll look at you then," Wormtail wheezed. Ginny's eyes snapped open to look at the man who had once been her family's rat. She now wished that Crookshanks had been the beast's more than timely demise…

"Quiet, Wormtail," his master hissed. Wormtail backed away, clutching his silver arm in protection. Voldemort turned his attention back to the redhead in his grip. "Pretty little Ginevra Weasley… I remember a time when you were lonely and forgotten."

"What do you want with me?" she asked, letting her gaze linger on the colorless skin of his face for only a moment. Voldemort let out what could be considered a laugh.

"My dear, you are no longer lonely, nor are you anywhere near forgotten," he said.

"I am to be bait then," Ginny concluded with disgust evident in her voice. The Dark Lord clucked his tongue.

"We once shared a mind, Ginevra. Perhaps you should give me a little more credit than that," he said. His free hand reached up to caress her unmarked cheek. "It is amazing, is it not, how one person can be the central figure to so many…"

"Harry…" she said softly. Voldemort smiled.

"Among some…" he said. Ginny finally looked at him. "Your family will, no doubt, rush off to rescue you. As will the honorable Albus Dumbledore and his minions. And perhaps…" He lifted her chin so he could stare into her eyes. "A young Malfoy heir…" Ginny squirmed to get away from him, anger apparent in her gaze.

"When they get here, you will be reduced to nothing," she spat. "Harry, Dumbledore and Draco alone are three of the most powerful wizards in generations… Not to mention what my father and brothers will do to you." Voldemort clucked his tongue as he shoved her away from him.

"Quite the temper you have, Miss Weasley. Almost too brave for your own good," he said as he looked down at her where she was sprawled. He pointed his wand at her and Ginny closed her eyes once again, waiting for the lethal words to be said.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

"Where's that bloody ferret got off to?" Ron grumbled. "He was supposed to meet us back here nearly a half an hour ago!"

"Patience, Ronald," Hermione gritted out for what seemed to be the hundredth time. Ron glowered at her.

"If he's in his room primping, I'll wipe the Malfoy right off his sodding face," he said. Harry chuckled, but promptly stopped as Hermione turned a look on him. The door to the room suddenly slammed open. Snape entered the room with his usual scowl.

"You can forget about Mr. Malfoy." Harry sat up straight and held up a hand to hold off Ron's blustering.

"But Professor Snape… he was to lead the rescue," he said. Snape turned his dark eyes to the Boy-Who-Lived.

"And he has another agenda as of this moment. You will worry not of Mr. Malfoy's intentions."

"How can we 'worry not'?" Ron grumbled. "His intentions were to save my sister…"

"And you sister shall be saved. And unfortunately, you will have to be the one to lead this merry little mission," the professor said. Ron's fists clenched.

"Do not make light of Ginny's capture," he said. Snape held up a hand.

"I would do no such thing. I just pity having to put the confidence of this mission in your hands," he said. Hermione put her hand on her boyfriend's arm to restrain him.

"Ron is more than capable of saving Ginny. By himself if it were necessary," she said. Her statement calmed Ron as he took her hand. Snape gave them a frown.

"It's disgustingly heartening to know someone has faith in the buffoon of the group," he said, a sneer making his lip twitch. Then the Potions professor straightened. "Come, Potter. We have other things for you to attend to…"

Harry looked to his friends. Hermione smiled at him before stepping forward to give him a hug.

"Good luck," he told her before looking to Ron. "Bring Ginny back safe. You come back safe…" The redhead swallowed, but nodded.

"You be safe too, Harry," Hermione called after him. He smiled before he followed Snape out the door.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**

The group should be striking out to find Ginny now. The thought couldn't help but be prevalent in Draco's mind. But now, he needed to know what his father was planning. And that was why he was sneaking into a dark and seemingly abandoned Malfoy Manor. Severus had brought up the point that with Malfoy Manor under Ministry supervision and Lucius off planning a war, it would be the best time to see what Lucius had left behind in his flight. To get into the mind of one of the most dangerous wizards of the time was winning half the battle.

He let himself in to the dark mansion and started to walk through the familiar halls. Draco wasn't sure where to start. His father was a crafty bugger. There were places within the manor that Draco was sure he wasn't even aware of. And with that thought in mind, he took off down the hallways opposite to what he normally traveled.

Draco reached the first doorway and quickly opened the door. He let the door swing open silently before entering. A quick survey around showed a spotless study.

"_Reparo_..." he muttered. The image quickly replaced itself with one of spider webs covering old relics scattered in some semblance of order around the room. Draco knew that his father had removed the more powerful artifacts of Dark Arts to somewhere untraceable within the Manor, but it still astounded him as to how confident his father really was in leaving all of this stuff behind. Even though he knew better than to suspect his father of hiding something in here, he couldn't help poking around. His hand would have been smacked by a silver-headed cane for the way his fingers roamed lazily over the dust covered things. He poked through the different books and opened all of the little boxes that held grotesque things. Draco wasn't sure what he was looking for, but it wasn't here.

The hallway took him to about six or seven other rooms that were nearly identical in condition and content. He was about to give up on the search, but as he entered the last room at the end of the corridor, he got the sense that something was here that he needed to look for. Draco bypassed all of the objects awaiting discovery and he stepped up to a large, ornate-looking mirror. Something drew him to this particular area of the wall. It felt as if he were standing in front of the Headmaster's staircase… The urge to say a password itched in his mind. Draco quickly thought of all the words his father would use…

_Slytherin… Salazar… Parseltongue… Dark Arts…Unforgivable…_ No, those were too predictable. Lucius Malfoy was certainly brighter than to use words easily associated with him. It was with that the answer sprang to mind. Draco had to chuckle.

"Albus Dumbledore…" he muttered. Yes, that would be what his father would consider completely unassociated with the name Malfoy.

The panel that held the mirror opened up and he watched with wide eyes as it revealed a whole other hallway. Now _this_ was bloody well something… Squaring his shoulders, Draco started through to door into an area that he knew was undetectable, even to the Ministry. His father was even craftier and even more dangerous than anyone originally thought. Draco had seen that first hand. And now, he was seeing more evidence. It was as if he'd hidden an entire wing from the world. No one the wiser.

Not sure where to go first, Draco started down the hallway. The sooner he started searching, the sooner he could make his way out of this mausoleum he called a home. The hallway itself wasn't altogether daunting. It was the starkness of it that was unnerving. There was nothing along the walls to clutter the area – no paintings, no furnishings, not even the rich carpeting that had cost his father many galleons to lie along the many other hallways within the manor. Apparently, this addition was not meant to impress. And it brought to mind all of the other possible uses that Draco would rather not dwell on.

There were no rooms to search down this corridor. But he noticed that he was approaching an intersecting wing. Something in him told him that he would find _something_ down that way… And so far, his instincts hadn't really led him wrong. Draco made to turn the corner silently with a wand raised – he wasn't completely daft. Yes, it was his childhood home. But evil wizards were probably allowed to run amuck within these hallways, Ministry be damned.

There was a noise as he made his way around the corner that pricked his senses. He stopped as he saw a tall figure standing at the end of the hallway. The breath caught in his chest as the person who he'd originally thought could have been his father turned to look at him. The gray eyes that stared back were cold as Draco had to grip the wall to keep his knees from buckling. A dream come to life... Draco slid down the wall and huddled in on himself. He could only stare at the image of himself. The mirror image was only marred by the look of hate permanently etched onto his aged patrician features. He closed his eyes as images flitted through his mind. Draco held no illusions as to what he, if disillusionment and Ginny hadn't come into his life, would have become. He was facing it right now – with a wand pointed at him.

Draco knew perfectly well that this thing in front of him was just a boggart. He knew that Lucius employed them to keep thieves at bay. And Draco knew full well that he feared no tangible thing. Not now. But this… this was what all-encompassing fear felt like. He'd only felt it once before – as he'd watched families, muggle and wizard alike, be tortured and killed in their homes. The memories of that summer came suddenly and brutally. The stench of fear, the cries of the injured, the loneliness of death, the pale green light that seemed to linger in the air long after the curse faded away…

Draco slowly came back to his feet and stumbled a little bit further down the hall. He needed to get away from the boggart – from the 'himself' that he had hoped he'd never be. His hand fumbled against the wall for a doorknob, _any_ doorknob. Luck was with him as cool metal pressed into his palm. Draco fell through the opening as the door was pushed out of his way. With a sigh of relief, he kicked the door closed, leaving the memories in the hall along with the boggart.

It took him a second to acquaint himself with the darkness as he slowly stood. He needed that second to regain control of his thoughts. Dusting himself off, he tentatively entered the room. He'd never been in this room before or ever seen the likes of it. But that was to be expected since the wing he travelled to get herehad been off limits to him since he could first walk. His father was careful and methodical in how he presented his home - eachperson saw only what Lucius wished and nothing more. Blood included.

Draco was immediately drawn to the large chest near the window. There was nothing else like it in the manor and perhaps that was what had drawn his eye to it. Curiosity taking hold, he knelt down next to the old oak.

"_Alohomora_…" he whispered. The lock sprung open and Draco lifted the lid. There were rags galore inside the trunk and he took them out one by one, investigating each as he set them on the floor. He lifted one of the last ones and was immediately blinded by the light suddenly set free.

"Bloody hell…" he called as he covered his face. After a moment, he opened his eyes and peered into the trunk. It was like nothing he'd ever seen before. For Malfoy tastes, it was simple. A plain, basin-like bowl. His eyes were drawn to what seemed like images floating through the silvery liquid-like substance. Draco's eyes caught on one… and in a split second, he suddenly felt himself falling towards it and towards a voice.

"_Well done, Lucius... well done, indeed." Lucius Malfoy – a younger, shorter-haired version of him – smiled a half smile._

Draco had heard about pensieves, but had never actually seen one. Oh, he remembered Potter's gaggle tittering about one back in fourth year, but he hadn't pain much attention to it. He'd heard it saidthat memories were withdrawn from the mind and put into this.

The falling feeling quickly settled itself and after a moment of disorientation, Draco was able to focus. He looked around the new surroundings. He was still in Malfoy Manor, but it was different. And in front of his father stood another man. It must have been his grandfather. He had the aged features of a Malfoy. But instead of the trademark silver hair, this man had raven black hair. It was long, just as his father's was now, and pulled back into a tie. When Draco looked back at his father, he saw that Lucius was bearing the Dark Mark.

"_Thank you, Father." The elder Malfoy had no expression._

"_I have hopes for you, Lucius. High hopes. It would be in your best interest to not disappoint me." Lucius bowed, but he held the same expression that Draco often held when dealing with his father._

"_Of course, Father."_

Draco felt a little disoriented as the scene dissolved. When his vision cleared, he was somewhere else completely.

"_Lucius._ _Your loyalty shall be rewarded," Draco saw the face of a powerful Voldemort. Not the mere shell of a wizard he was now. His father bowed before the other wizard and turned to exit the hall. Draco hurried after him. As soon as Lucius was out of the manor, a man that Draco recognized as a younger Ribald McNair stepped up to his father._

"_When?" the other man asked._ _A sneer crossed Lucius' face._

"_Soon…"_

"_Does he suspect anything?" McNair asked. Lucius' sneer turned to a smirk._

"_Suspect a double cross? Voldemort is entirely too confident in his powers to suspect such a thing…He thinks we are afraid of him."_

"_What are we to do?"_

"_Bide our time…" Lucius said before Disaparating._

Again, Draco felt a little ill as things once again dissolved into another scene. As this one took shape, he was ill for another reason entirely…

_In front of him sat a broken and bloody Peter Pettigrew. His arms were tied above his head and blood was dried upon his lips. A wand appeared from behind him and was dragged across his cheek. The pudgy man flinched._

"_Tell us what we wish, Wormtail…" Draco heard his father's voice drawl. The elder Malfoy stepped out from behind the man he was torturing. "Tell us… or… Crucio!" The screams were gut-wrenching. Draco turned his head away and tried to block it out. When quiet reigned once more, Draco looked to see his father leaning close to Pettigrew._

"_You know where they are. Tell me, or you will have more of the same. Death will only look like a blessing to you…" A whimper escaped the pained man._

"_I…I… I know where they are," he said, his voice as dry as a desert. A cold smirk came over Lucius' face._

"_Please. Do not hold us in suspense," he prodded. Draco saw a look of relief cross over Pettigrew's face and wondered over it. Until he heard the other voice._

"_Yes, please, Wormtail. Inform me of the Potter's whereabouts." Lucius turned in surprise, and Pettigrew's face fell when he realized that he was no closer to release or death than he had been before. Draco stared in realization that his father was actually the one ultimately responsible for the Potters being found and murdered. And if had been up to him, his father would have been the one to kill them. Draco closed his eyes and wished himself elsewhere._

When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the present. He sat back, the light from the trunk illuminating the dark room. There was a lot of information he'd just received and he wasn't sure what to do with it all...

After a minute or so to process, it took but a moment to come up with a suitable start to a plan. He only hoped that it wouldn't get him killed. By all rights and purposes, he was a Malfoy. And Malfoys looked out for themselves.

Draco closed the trunk and strode out of the room with purpose. All these years he had been raised to follow his father's footsteps. And now, he would do as his father had done… and he would do it tonight.

**O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O**


End file.
